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Review
Archives
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Today's
Date is:
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Red
Planet
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Reviewed
by: |
Brad
Tobin |
| Genre: |
Sci
Fi. |
| Video: |
Widescreen
Anamorphic 2.35:1 |
| Audio: |
Dolby
Digital 5.1 |
| Language: |
English,
French |
| Subtitle: |
French |
| Length: |
1
Hour 42 Minutes |
| Rating: |
PG-13
(US) |
| Release
Date: |
March
27, 2001 |
| Studio: |
Warner
Bros. |
| Commentary:
|
None |
| Documentaries:
|
None |
| Featurettes:
|
None |
| Filmography/Biography:
|
Yes |
|
Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
Yes |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
Yes |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
|
None |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Val Kilmer,
Carrie-Anne Moss, Tom Sizemore, Benjamin Bratt, Simon Baker
and Terence Stamp |
| Screenplay
by: |
Written by
- Chuck Pfarrer, Channing Gibson and Jonathon Lemkin |
| Produced
by: |
Bruce Berman, Jorge Saralegui
and Mark Canton |
| Directed
By: |
Anthony Hoffman |
| Music: |
Graeme Revell |
| The
Review: |
"Red
Planet" is Easily the Better of the 2 big screen Mars flicks
released recently, but it is Still a Sub-Par Sci-fi film. One
day someone will make a Mars film that has Great Characters,
Good Dialogue, Lots of Action, Suspense and Wonder, Spectacular
Effects and, if it's not too much to ask... Some Realistic-Looking
Aliens. Wouldn't you think that they would be the first thing
on the "To Do" list, not in "Red Planet". (and Definitely not
in "Mission to Mars") The film is a Bare Bones "Beat the Clock"
story, like "Pitch Black" but not as good. Both are Great to
Look at (as they were filmed in my native Australia) but "Pitch
Black" actually had Believable, Likeable and Well-Developed
Characters and a little more Substance. "Red Planet" has Good
Actors, but mostly it wastes them. It seems to be in a Huge
rush to Kill everyone off, so why bother Developing them. Val
Kilmer gives a Strangely Likeable performance, a Toned Down
version of his "Island of Dr Moreau" performance. He saved that
film and he saves "Red Planet". Carrie Anne Moss and Tom Sizemore
lend Good Support to the film, but it's Simon-Baker Denny who
gets the all round Best Performance. His facial say a lot about
his Character Personality and we Never know weather to Trust
him or not, he never sinks into True Blue Goodie or Clichéd
Bad gut, he cleverly stays in the middle, an Enigma. He makes
the film Far more interesting. Terence Stamp's performance looks
Superimposed from any one of his other films and Benjamin Bratt
is annoying. Both Actors were Unnecessary and only there for
their Names and their Paychecks. The film does have Quite a
Few things that make it Well worth a look. AMEE the Robot was
the Real Star of the film; she should get her Own film, which
I'd like to see. A Military creation with the Looks of a Cheetah's
Skeleton, the Mind of a Green Beret, the fists of Bruce Lee
and the Mentality of the Blair Witch (they both love to Toy
with their Victims). The way the boys Land on Mars is also a
Highlight. NASA's Equipment gets Quite a lot Better in 50 some
odd years. We Finally have Space suits that are Mobile and Strong,
and Ships that take 6 months to get to Mars, but Prey that a
Solar Flare does hit the ship or it Falls apart like a Go Cart
under a Semi. Sure some of it is Nonsensical, but lots of it
Works. "Red Planet" is Ultimately a Good Way to pass an Hour
and Forty minutes. Once you get over the fact that Hollywood
has Yet to make the Definitive Mars Flick (Tim Burtons "Mars
Attacks" is the best so far, and that is a Worrying Thing) you
can sit back and Enjoy what they Have made, a Fun, Old Fashioned
"Beat-the-Clock" Sci-fi Flick. |
| Image
and Sound |
Like virtually
All of this films target audience, I saw it for it's Special
Effects, which looked Great in the Theatrical Trailer. In the
Film, they range from State-of-the-Art (the AMEE Robot) to Sad
State of Affairs-Effects (the Zero-Gravity Fire, which was done
Way better in "Event Horizon"). As for Alien Life on Mars, I
don't want to give away too much but for Me the result was Quite
a Let down. "Too Little Too Late" sums it up fairly well. Australia
is a Great Substitute for Mars, It Really looks like a place
Not of this World, and the Space Suits and Ships look Amazing.
The Sound is far from Ear-Catching, as alot of the film wants
to go for the Barren Desert feel, which requires Little Sound.
Graeme Revells Score opens and closes the film well, but thats
all its used for. |
| The
Extras |
The Extra
Features section is as Barren as the Red Planet itself. The
Deleated Scenes are Character Development scenes that were Totally
Unnessesary, they only built up these characters to knock them
down anyway, the makers just Couldn't wait to get to mars and
Knock Everyone Off. We also get Actor Profiles which lend Little
Light to the actors Careers, plus the Little Seen Trailers and
TV Spots which are actually Quite Inticing. If I actually Saw
these at the Cinemas, I'd have gone to see the Film and not
waited for the DVD. Warner Bros Obviously didn't have much faith
in it Then (as they hardly even Screened the Trailers, they
put them out about a Week before release) and they don't have
any faith in it Now (as they can't be bothered compiling a Good
List of Extra Features) |
| Commentary |
None |
| Final
Words: |
Strickly
a Rental DVD only. If Nothing Else, it sure beats "Mission to
Mars". The Definative Mars Movie has Definately not been made
yet, "Red Planet" will Have to do until it is. |
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