Before watching this film for the first time the other night, I knew this film got middling reviews and after watching it, I can't see why. Just like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Mission to Mars gives us a sense of wonder, of hope, and even of awe. The final half-hour of the film really gives us these emotions. The first part of the film may be a little boring or I shall say intellectual, but I found it interesting to watch. The visuals are really good and especially on Mars and that make the film pretty to look at.
Brian De Palma's film is about how the first manned mission to Mars goes very wrong thanks to a catastrophic and somewhat mysterious event. A rescue team goes to Mars to see if anyone is alive and they discover something that may enchant them forever.
This film has a pretty good cast and it seems like they had a good time. I don't see much of Gary Sinise anymore, but he does a good job as Jim. Don Cheadle is awesome as always. I can't complain about Tim Robbins since he usually does a good job in anything. All in all, everyone has good chemistry here.
Overall, this is a decent, wonder-inspiring sci-fi film. It may not be perfect thanks to some corny dialogue and some times of slowness, but it's much better than what people give it credit for. It's also a film that gives a possible view on where we people from Earth came from. I can't believe people say Morricone's score is bad, but it's far from bad. It's a haunting, stylish score that will stick with you, just like the movie. I rate this film 8/10.
