Escape from Mars (1999) (TV)

User Rating:

4.5/10   

Director:

Neill Fearnley

Writers:

Jim Henshaw (writer)
Peter Mohan (writer)

Release Date:

25 February 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot:

Five astronauts make the first manned trip to Mars, in the second decade of the 21st century. They must...

Plot Keywords:

Space | Space Exploration | Mission | Meteor Shower | Mars

Cast

Christine Elise	...	Lia Poirier, Sagan Cocommander
Peter Outerbridge	...	John Rank, Sagan Cocommander
Allison Hossack	...	Andrea Singer, Mission Chemist
Michael Shanks	...	Bill Malone, Mission Architect
Ron Lea	...	Jason, Mission Control Weasel
Kavan Smith	...	Sergei Andropov, Misson Biogeochemist
David Kaye	...	Steve Yaffe
Peter Kelamis	...	Robert Poirer, Lia's Husband
Julie Khaner	...	Gail McConnell, Mission Control
Tammy Isbell	...	Stephanie Rank, John's Ex Wife
Arlene MacPherson	...	Remi
Aaron Pearl	...	Robert Singer
Jonathan Barrett	...	Richard Singer
Darrell Nicholson	...	Andy Singer
Sophia Sweatman	...	Amanda Singer

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild sci-fi action and peril, and for some sensuality and language.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Company:

Credo Entertainment Group

Scientific story sound, personal stories incomplete

The first manned mission to Mars is launched in 2015 (on my birthday, of all days!) and troublesome issues, both technical and personal, plague the crew.

While the scientific/technical problems reach their conclusions, you never really get the feeling the personal issues are there or sufficiently dealt with. "Escape from Mars" kept reminding me of the book "Mars Underground" by William K. Hartmann - scientifically strong, but lacking in good character development.

Don't expect to deeply care for the characters no matter how tender-hearted you are; you're just not given anything substantial (though the movie tries) to get emotional over.

It seems that there simply was too much too tell and too little movie to tell it all completely. Perhaps another hour would have permitted an adequate exploration of the inner-conflicts of each crew member. For those who mainly like sci-fi stories "Escape from Mars" rates well. At least, worth viewing once.