Movies

I don't know why everybody rips this movie. The special effects are very realistic, down to the pink-tinted Martian sky. The plot is plausible (for science fiction), paying attention to many small details that often make these kinds of movies farcical. Most important, it's very existential; humans simply trying to survive against almost insurmountable odds. As the struggle builds, the relationships begin to gel nicely. This IS a movie about human relationships, not Star Wars style hype. I know, there are some weak spots. The opening and closing dialog, Val Kilmer whispering all the way through, some of the dialog, etc. But overall, this movie doesn't try to do too much (unlike the abysmal Mission To Mars), and that's what makes it a success.

I found this to be much better than average among science-fiction films, a very pleasant surprise. To its credit, it resists the temptation to overdo the violence and still keeps the viewer entertained throughout the 106 minutes with some inventive material.The visuals are good and the special-effects with the robot "AMEE" are excellent and fun to watch. The characters in here are neutral: not really likable good guys but not bad guys, either. Also to the film's credit, the profanity is pretty low, at least compared to most films today. Val Kilmer, Carie-Anne Moss, Tom Sizemore and Terrence Stamp are recognizable names in here. I don't know if this film ever got its just due. It's better than the ratings you see here on IMDb.

"This is it. That moment they told us in high school where one day, algebra would save our lives."Oh Red Planet. I was only fourteen years old when you came out and I was going through my "Val Kilmer phase", so I've definitely got a bit of a soft spot for you.That being said, it's definitely not the best film of all time. In some standards it's pretty darn awful. The script was quite bland, the acting (especially from Kilmer, unfortunately) seemed lazy, and the pace felt a bit slow. But I still get enjoyment out of it to this day, even if it's in a nostalgic kind of way. Also, I love the soundtrack.