Mission to Mars

Plot

In 2020, the Mars I mission travels to the planet Mars, commanded by Luke Graham. The team discovers a bright white formation in the Cydonia region, which they suspect is an extrusion from a subsurface geothermal column of water, useful to future human colonization. After reporting this to the Earth-orbiting World Space Station, they investigate the formation and start hearing a low sound on their communications system. Their radar reports the formation is metal, but when they increase its power, a vortex kills everyone except Luke and the formation is revealed to be part of a large humanoid face.

The space station observes an electromagnetic pulse and receives a distress message from Luke. Realizing the pulse damaged the computer system of the Earth Return Vehicle (ERV) they repurpose the Mars II mission into a rescue.

Mars Rescue, consisting of Commander Woody Blake, his wife Terri Fisher, recent widower Jim McConnell and technician Phil Ohlmyer, approaches Mars orbit months later to find all satellite imagery of the formation area covered with static. Micrometeoroids breach the ship, damage the fuel lines, and detonate the engines. The crew abandons their disabled Mars II ship and travel to the Resupply Module in orbit nearby. Woody loses his tether to the module and begins descending into the atmosphere. When Terri risks her own safety to attempt to rescue him, he removes his helmet, killing himself to save her.

The survivors arrive on the surface and find Luke living in a greenhouse. He shows them pictures of the face, and reveals the pulses represent a 3D model of human-like DNA missing a pair of chromosomes. Jim determines they must complete the sequence to pass a test. When they send a rover to broadcast the completed signal, an opening appears in the side of the structure. With a massive dust storm approaching Jim, Terri, and Luke head to the formation, while Phil stays to finish repairing the ERV. Phil is ordered to launch, with or without them, before the storm hits.

The three astronauts enter the opening, which seals behind them. A three-dimensional projection of the Solar System depicts Mars, covered with water, being struck by a large asteroid and rendered uninhabitable. A projection of a humanoid Martian lifeform reveals the native Martians evacuated the planet in spaceships, one of which was sent to seed Earth with DNA to create life that could one day land on Mars and be recognized as descendants. An invitation is offered for one of their group to follow the Martians to their new home. Jim accepts the invitation and is sealed inside a small capsule. Terri and Luke arrive back to the ERV just as Phil is about to take off. They barely escape the dust storm into space as Jim's capsule is launched from the crumbling formation and flies past them toward the Martians' home.

Production

The film was shot primarily on location in Vancouver, British Columbia, Jordan and the Canary Islands. Mission to Mars explores astronomy, extraterrestrial life and space exploration. Extensive special effects surrounding certain aspects of the film such as the NASA spacecraft and Martian vortex, were created by a number of digital effects companies including ILM, Dream Quest Images, Tippett Studio, CIS Hollywood and Trans FX. Between visuals, miniatures, and animation, over 400 technicians were directly involved in the production aspects of the special effects.

According to the director in the 2015 documentary film about his career, Brian De Palma was brought on board after the previous director Gore Verbinski walked away due to concerns over the lack of additional money for the budget. De Palma indicated that the film needed additional funds and that much of the budget went into the CGI for the film. When De Palma was hired the script had already been written and the film cast.

Soundtrack

The original score for Mission to Mars, was released by the Hollywood Records music label on March 14, 2000. The score for the film was composed by Ennio Morricone and performed by the New York Philharmonic. Suzana Peric and Nick Meyers edited the film's music.

Reception

Release

The film, produced by Disney's Touchstone Pictures, was distributed by Buena Vista Pictures in North America and most territories, while Spyglass Entertainment handled select European sales through its distribution partners. C+P, a joint-venture between Canal+ and Pathé, acquired distribution rights in France, while Spyglass' usual international partners, Eureka (Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, ex-USSR), Svensk Filmindustri (Scandivania) and Lusomundo (Portugal) acquired rights in those specific territories.

Critical response

Among mainstream critics in the United States, the film received mainly negative reviews. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 24% of 113 sampled critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 4.6/10 and the consensus, "Beauty only goes skin deep in this shallow but visually stunning film." At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average out of 100 to critics' reviews, the film received a score of 34 based on 36 reviews. Furthermore, the film was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director for De Palma, where he lost to Roger Christian for Battlefield Earth at the 21st Golden Raspberry Awards. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "C−" on a scale of A to F.

The film's reception among French-language critics was markedly different in positive fashion. Film journal Cahiers du Cinéma devoted several articles to De Palma and Mission to Mars at the time of its release, and placed it as #4 in their list of the 10 best films of 2000. The film was screened out of competition at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.

Sinise and Robbins, a couple of awfully good actors, are asked to speak some awfully clunky lines. When Robbins says, "OK, we're ready to light this candle" before ignition, it sounds like a parody of astronaut lingo.

Mark Halverson, writing in Sacramento News & Review, said "My inner child felt cheated that the film leapt from an astronaut barbecue to Mars without so much as a rocket launch and that the best special effect (a sandstorm nod to The Mummy) was unveiled in the first 20 minutes." He added, "This visually alluring mess also includes gobs of cheesy dialogue and a hokey-looking alien." Left unimpressed, Bob Graham in the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote that the film "meanders into space-mystico mumbo jumbo. We're supposed to share the characters' awe at the wonder of the universe, but more likely the audience will wonder whatever were the filmmakers thinking." Graham characterized Mission to Mars as "a very mixed bag: rhapsodic cinematography, several genuine shocks amid a suffocating air of gooeyness, impressive visual effects – even if some seem to exist in a vacuum – and an absolutely loony conclusion." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, said the film "contains conversations that drag on beyond all reason. It is quiet when quiet is not called for. It contains actions that deny common sense. And for long stretches the characters speak nothing but boilerplate". He believed that "It misses too many of its marks. But it has extraordinary things in it. It's as if the director, the gifted Brian De Palma, rises to the occasions but the screenplay gives him nothing much to do in between them." The film however, was not without its supporters. Michael Wilmington of the New York Daily News, exclaimed the film was "One of the most gorgeous science-fiction movies ever – and probably also one of the most realistic in detail and scientific extrapolation". Richard Corliss of TIME commented that "This isn't 2001, by a long shot, but for 2000, it'll do nicely". William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, added to the positive sentiment by saying "Here and there an inspired shot makes the film come alive, and at least three of its sequences had me positioned well on the edge of my seat."

Box office

The film premiered in cinemas on March 10, 2000, in wide release throughout the U.S. During its opening weekend, the film opened in first place, grossing $22,855,247 in business showing at 3,054 locations. It earned the third-highest March opening weekend at that time, behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Liar Liar. The film The Ninth Gate came in second place during that weekend grossing $6,622,518. The film's revenue dropped by 50% in its second week of release, earning $11,385,709. For that particular weekend, the film fell to second place screening in 3,060 theaters. Erin Brockovich unseated Mission to Mars to open in first place, grossing $28,138,465 in box office revenue. During its final weekend in release, it opened in a distant 72nd place with $17,467 in revenue. The film went on to top out domestically at $60,883,407 in total ticket sales through an 18-week theatrical run. The film took in an additional $50,100,000 in business through international release to top out at a combined $110,983,407 in gross revenue. The film ranked 41st at the box office for 2000.

Home media

Mission to Mars was released on VHS and DVD on September 12, 2000. The film was later released on Blu-ray in France on September 22, 2009.