Gary Sinise, Don Cheadle, Tim Robbins, Jerry O'Connell,
Connie Neilsen, Kim Delaney, and Armin Mueller-Stahl
The aspirations were high. In his first venture
into the sci-fi genre, director Brian De Palma has created a film
that clearly mimics the slow, majestic wonders of 2001: A SPACE
ODYSSEY. The film, MISSION TO MARS, is nowhere near that
classic work's quality, but it's not entirely without merit, either.
Granted, De Palma doing Kubrick makes for an odd and unsettling
sensation, but it does elevate this weak material into a semi-literate
take on the nature, history, and purpose of humanity.
If the film had avoided some of its other inspirations
-- say, a cliche-ridden astronaut picnic that opens the picture
(a la APOLLO 13) or the inside jokiness of space pod activity
(a la THE RIGHT STUFF, ARMAGEDDON, etc.) -- MISSION TO MARS might
have been a truly remarkable work. Ultimately, however, MISSION
TO MARS squanders its potential by trying to straddle the
fence between audience expectations of action and a more aesthetically
enduring approach. It is art? It is a blockbuster? The film's
downfall is that it tries to be both, and ends up being neither.
NASA, in its first contracted partnership with a feature
film, is the setting for a manned mission to...well, guess...with
a crew including Luke Graham (Don Cheadle). When contact is lost
with them in the middle of a mysterious planet anomaly, a rescue
mission is hurriedly assembled, including Luke's friends Captain
Woody Blake (Tim Robbins), his wife Terri Fisher (Connie Neilson),
ace navigator Jim McConnell (Gary Sinise) and a young computer
expert, Phil (Jerry O'Connell). What awaits them on Mars is far
more than anyone expects...not only the keys to the history of
Mars itself, but the explanations for life in this solar system...including
life on Earth.
Don't expect a great deal of action in MISSION TO
MARS. Things move incredibly slowly here, even the most tense
scenes of outer space rescue. Systems don't fail, and things don't
explode. Instead, small air leaks that gradually deplete oxygen
are the enemy. Yes, small air leaks are the big villain.
As far as high drama, it doesn't rate very well.
But the third act of the film is superb storytelling,
and those who wait through the first two hours will find their
patience rewarded. The visual effects of Mars and the ship's space
travel are very good, although clearly computer-generated. If
De Palma gets a bit carried away with anti-gravity and other neato
space tricks, he can be forgiven; it's only his first film in
zero gravity, and besides, it is kind of cool.
The dialogue is clunky and often predictable, but the
very talented cast manages to survive it, especially Robbins,
Cheadle and Sinise. All three award-winning actors are light years
above this material, but their very presence lends MISSION
TO MARS a weight which it otherwise wouldn't have. Sinise,
in particular, is affecting as a man born for the stars, slightly
damaged by life and looking for answers in the heavens. He is,
like Jodie Foster in CONTACT, meant for space.
For those craving a sci-fi extravaganza, MISSION
TO MARS is bound to be a major disappointment. With smaller
expectations, however, there are many pleasures in this noble
but imperfect effort.
