Customer Reviews

Red Planet [Blu-ray] [Import]

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(38)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(29)

 

 

I am a SF junkie and will watch just about anything - even if I don't like it. Red Planet - With Carrie Moss, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore and Terrance Stamp - isn't in that category but it teeters at times.

The special effects are not bad.

The science IS bad, and inconsistant, but since this is a movie and not a documentary, so I suppose that's allowable.

I would have loved to see more Terrance Stamp.

The relationships between the crew are not well explained and take unexpected turns here and there. The flashback- oh yeah - this happened - scene to explain the Kilmer-Moss relationship irritated me. Why on earth (or Mars) not show it as it happened - then we might all understand the situation. At times, I was wondering "Why are they acting like this?"

Not bad - SF fans will still like it - keep expectations low.

Mike

If you've seen any of the following films, then don't waste your time with "Red Planet":

1. Armageddon
2. The Core
3. Apollo 13
4. Independence Day
5. Any "beat the clock & save the planet/city" sci-fi flick made since 1990 that I didn't bother watching.

Out of all of these, "Apollo 13" is the best, simply because it's a true story that was made with emotional honesty and a compelling narrative.

Here's everything you need to know about "Red Planet":

-the best actor (Terrence Stamp) the dies first
-Val Kilmer and Carrie-Ann Moss are in it
-plot of "Apollo 13" + wonky environmental pop-science + visuals from "2001" + Mars + a funky robot who goes all "HAL" = "Red Planet"

Plot synopsis: In an attempt to terraform Mars because Earth is so polluted, the "international community" has been seeding Mars with large algae mats to make its atmosphere more human-friendly. Something goes wrong, and a team is dispatched to Mars to investigate. As they enter Mars' orbit, the ship is exposed to a large solar flare, which fries much of its circuitry. Most of the crew go to the Mars surface, with the pilot staying on-board to try to save the ship. The crew jettisons the landing gear and lands, fatally injuring the surgeon/philosopher. The survivors march to a nearby base previously set up by un-manned missions. The base is kaput. One survivor kills another without the others knowing it. They discover that they can breathe the air. The pilot tells them that if they can get to an old unmanned rover several hours away, they can make it back to the ship. Along the way, one survivor goes nuts and is killed by a damaged robot navigator (jettisoned with the landing gear) and some bugs. The biogeneticist figures out why the air is breathable and kills himself before the bugs can eat him. Meanwhile, the pilot has repaired the ship. The lone survivor gets to the rover, fights the robot, steals its battery, and makes it back to the ship. End of story.

There. In 15 sentences (including "end of story"), I have told you THE WHOLE STUPID MOVIE. That's it. There's nothing else to know about this movie.

The premise of the conflict is wholly absurd and serves as the engine of a barely-mediocre flick. In order to make near-future sci-fi compelling. the science must be relatively sound. So here are the two big science stinkers (leaving aside the whole atmosphere issue) that make this movie wholly implausible:

1. There are things called circuit breakers and other safety devices to prevent power surges from frying stuff. All satellites and space equipment using solar panels have these devices and have survived many many solar flares. Why would they build a ship without these precautions?

2. None of the Mars survivors consumed water once they reached the surface. With demanding physical activity and little-to-no atmospheric moisture, they would have died of dehydration sometime during the second march, if not on the first day.

Don't waste your time with this movie. Rent something good. Heck, if you just have to see bad sci-fi, watch "Jason X" - the visuals are just as good, and you'll be much more entertained.

This movie gets 2 stars for graphical competence and having Terence Stamp utter a few lines.

Can I have my money back?

Mediocre flick, mucho bad science. The blu ray transfer makes the "cool" scenes look really nice. When you need a scifi fix, it's passable.

A lot of people don't like this movie...I thought it wasn't bad. At least it's not as gory as some of them are. And Simon Baker's in it, so that's a plus.

This is one of my favorites. I was thrilled to finally get it. I received it in perfect condition and in the time it was supposed to get to me. I'm truly happy.

15 years from now, people are going to pick up this movie and wonder why so many people thought it was bad--there's actually very little wrong with it: memorable performances from Sizemore, Stamp and Kilmer, better science than the average Hollywood flick, a nifty mystery, a logical triumph of man over machine (aren't we all a little tired of omnipotent, indestructible robots?), and crisp suspense as the astronauts race the clock to escape the tightening noose of a mission gone awry.

It was promoted as a SF/Horror flick similar to ALIEN, and it really isn't--it's more like Alfred Hitchcock directing THE RIGHT STUFF.

All the SF movie fans I know tend to like byzantine tales, historic in scope, filled with quirky characters roaming rich new landscapes, so this simple tale of a small group of men trying to escape a desolate red planet within a short span of hours might not be rich enough for them. (The SF fanboys won't like it because Carrie-Anne Moss's shower scene is too short and doesn't show enough...er...Moss.)

It's definitely worth a rental, but you won't want to own it unless you're a suspense fan that revels more in how a film is put together than in how it turns out.

Val Kilmer (Robby Gallagher) and Carrie-Anne Moss (Cmdr. Kate Bowman)star in this futuristic sci-fi thriller "Red Planet".

When I sat down to watch this Dvd I was not expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. I'm a big fan of Val Kilmer, (at least in the Ghost and the Darkness and I also thought he made an excellent Batman). Red Planet is one of the better sci-fi films of the last few years and held my attention from start to finish.

Red Planet tells the story of astronauts going to Mars in order to collonize it. The adventure really begins when there robot AIMEE goes postal. It's a very entertaining film that also boast some interesting dialogue on philisophical issues. Also stars Benjamin Bratt, Tom Sizemore and the always interesting Terance Stamp. Very good special effects and and interesting screenplay make this a worthwhile movie to watch.

Thanks for reading.

Yes,its another mission to mars,everything screws up when we arrive sci-fi flick.But, it is a very good one.The cast is cool,val kilmer,tom sizemore and carrie ann moss who is so much more sexy @ alive here than she was in the matrix trilogy.the co-stars are wasted,because the movie feels cutdown a bit.The crew must escape one hopeless situation after another while being chased by their damaged navigational robot. The DVD has only deleted scenes,no trailers or anything else.of the mars flicks this is my favorite next to ghosts of mars.

Every astronaut on NASA's team must have blushed with shame at seeing this pitiful rendition of their abilities. Set on a partially "terra-formed" Mars, so that the stranded team doesn't have to wear EVA helmets for the length of this tedious film, five men - quickly pared down to three, then two, then . . . struggle to survive. As if the lack of food, water and story line weren't enough, there's a rabid rover that strives to do them in. In a sense, the rover is the only one with any acting ability. Its quick-change mode of operation, baleful countenance and dedication to destruction at least provide it focus. The humans, by contrast, fumble about the landscape, perform feats of derring-do, sink into sloughs of despair and surrender to base instincts. All the while trying to convince us they are real people.

Is there one heroic figure? Ah, yes! Far above struggles [what else] the heroinic commander [i'm not making this up!] of the expedition, Carrie-Anne Moss. Not reachable by AMMEE the Rampant Robot, C-AM must emulate Sigourney Weaver's role in her efforts to subdue a recalcitrant space ship. C-AM has the help Sigourney lacked in the voice of the ship's computer. Sultry, soothing, empowering, this computer voice REALLY communicates. What its technical abilities are remain a mystery throughout the film. Perhaps the best dialogue of the film is C-AM and the computer arguing. Sigourney would be as embarrassed as those NASA astronauts.

There's little chance this review can give away much about the plot. There's so little of one, and the elements are cadged from a multitude of sources any SF fan will recognise in moments. To call the performances wooden is to insult whole forests. Speculative Fiction has enough of a quest achieving mainstream acceptance without disasters like this setting back the genre further. There are countless stories out there awaiting filming - a Canadian author's work comes immediately to mind. Come North, Hollywood, where real plots abound. But please don't take our lumber, put in front of a camera, and call it acting. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Reasonably above average movie with Val Kilmer and Carrie Moss as a misson goes to the red planet on a mission to save Earth's dying enivorment from final destruction. Kilmer pretty much carries the whole movie with his honest acting and for once, the CGI effects are not bad, the script is manageable and the rest of the cast are pretty good also.