Circa: 2000
Runtime: 98 mins
I've been wanting to see this movie for quite some time, I realize alot of people will compare it to "Mission to Mars" and just dismiss it, but if they do, they are really missing out. Along with some beautiful special effects, we have a pretty darn good story, and a VERY kick ass "Villian" (Poor misunderstood robot)
Like I said, the story starts off very cool. Earth in the future is so polluted that in a few years it will be un-livable. So a few decades prior, N.A.S.A. sends algie samples to mars so that it will grow, and provide breathable oxygen on Mars.. Sounds cool so far, doesn't it. After the algie is sent etc.. a team of bio engineers, scientists, and *ahem* space janitors take a trip to Mars to take samples, and escavate the area.
Well, as in all space movies, something goes wrong, and they end up changing the plans last minute. Carrie Ann Moss plays the hero by staying behind and ejecting the lander while she stays in the ship and trys to get it running again. Once again things go wrong.. and the lander, which is based on a real design of a mars lander, loses two of its cushions and crashes. In an amazing scene we see the lander fall and bounce and fall and bounce, all the way down a mountain... then further. All the falling causes one of the "older" members of the crew to rupture his spleen and dies. *pouts*
The rest of the crew consisting of a space janitor (Val Kilmer), a Bio Engineer, the Co-Pilot and a Civilian find themselves trapped on Mars with no radio and no way of communicating w/ the orbiting ship.. They finally find a way to call back to "Mrs nipples" herself and she helps them to find a way back to the ship.
The rest is mostly things that they DID NOT give away in the previews which made for a nice suprise. I thought the whole thing was only going to be about the killer robot "A.M.E.E." which they never explained the name. It was a navigator so My best guess is Advanced Military Enviromental Escavator.. (good try I spose)
One thing I did not like though was the way they didn't get into the paranoia of everything more. I mean the one guy did towords the end, but I feel like they could have explored this way more detailed. Kind of like in John Carpender's "Thing".. That movie is the pinacle of paranoia..
Overall I liked this one a lot.. I was very suprised by the way the plot went, and I'm glad that heavily effects ladden movie still had a good story, and script..
Oh yeah, don't miss the Zero gravity fire scene.. its amazing.
JustinCase
1 Cliffdive
1 Ruptured Spleen
1 Dead paranoid freak (robot gets him GOOD)
Funny Things I Noticed
This movie should have really been called "Tease us with Carrie Ann Moss's Nipples" I mean shes naked in one scene waist up.. and she ALMOST turns around.. How I wish for fully 3d rotoscoping video.. heheh another scene she's wearing a tanktop and shes BEAMING... bigtime.. good stuff.. something for all you "Trinity" (Matrix) fans to beat off to.. *giggles*