Let's be realistic.

A Major Disappointment

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

This one could be an excellent feature for a future "Mystery Science Theater 3000" analysis.This may be the *only movie ever where the computer suffocates* along with the crew when they have a hull breach. It starts to talk slower, and deeper, aannnnd sllllowwwwwwer, annnd deeeeeeeeeper.....as the air leaks out......then they fix the leak and the computer speeds up again and you can hear the happiness and relief in its tone! lol I'm not kidding!It has a barf factor, too - when the married couple start dancing in zero g enroute to Mars, and the others in the crew look on with laughable teenager-like adoring "awwww so cute!" eyes oozing without words, "Gee, I wish that was me!" lolA few cool features; the 3d orrery, the floor countdown clock...but I'd vote for this as *the worst* movie about anything Mars, ever produced to date.

"Cheesy" would be the word if I didn't love cheese so much. The writing was so bad, I would rank this as one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I don't say this lightly (and I've seen "The Room!").

The only reason I gave 2 stars instead of 1 was the cast. I'm the first one to say that willful suspension of disbelief is needed in many cases to enjoy a movie, but this movie is so rife will scientific inaccuracy and ridiculousness that simple suspension of disbelief doesn't work.

Brian De Palma's "Mission to Mars" is one of the most frequently slammed films of all time. I believe there is a psychology behind this that is rooted in the "herd mentality." What De Palma has done is to give us a realistic look at what a manned mission to Mars might be like, with the very real risk of mission failure. NASA purportedly worked very closely with the filmmakers to ensure that everything was accurate. Of course, it goes without saying that De Palma's people withheld the key "alien" plot point, which angered NASA people when they found out. It is from this source that most of the negativity is coming from for this film, and the public picked up on that. However, even those who knew nothing about the NASA fracas would conceivably reacted in a visceral fashion since De Palma, in a sense, not only deceived NASA, but the audience, by playing it strictly by the book until the aliens step in, and then it's off to Oz. I think this is what upsets people, because I cannot think of one criticism that is valid here except that one.The performances, FX and musical score are all above-average. But could it be possible that De Palma didn't want to make an "Ordinary People" in outer space. D'ya think? Clearly the story is not meant to focus upon the characters or in dramatic exchanges, except to the point where the death of Maggie is given new meaning and her surviving husband experiences reconciliation with the universe. The ending, and the alien's "back story" is not only compelling but innovative. We already know that Mars had a cataclysm because the planet is virtually dead...there is almost no strength in what remains of its electromagnetic field. The idea that life could have been born on Mars is not only fascinating but quite likely, given what we know about Mars today and its water. The music was the biggest surprise. This score is far, far better than anything I have heard onside of the DeBussy / Vaughan Williams / Delius grouping, and it is a great piece of work in it's own right. It culminates in the glory of incomparable possibilities. Highly recommended if you care for discerning cinema!Overall rating: 8 out of 10.