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Will there ever be a quality Mars movie? It seems to be the cursed sci-fi genre. Nobody has yet to get it right. I haven't seen "Ghosts of Mars," but I don't want to, for good reasons.
"Mission to Mars" was bad, proving that FX and a mystical alien theme never works in a Gary Sinise movie (heh heh, remember "Impostor?")
"Red Planet" was the best of the bunch, with good effects, but some plot elements needed to be tied up (what happened to the base?) and Val Kilmer isn't exactly the best actor ever.
I was expecting more from "Total Recall." While the movie had the best special effects of its day when it came out in 1990, today it looks somewhat dated. And they should've stayed with the "Arnold-loses-memory" plot idea more instead of making gore and violence around every corner.
Seems like we are due for a good Mars movie. Comments?
[ March 29, 2002, 13:08: Message edited by: Veers ]
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I actually really liked Mission to Mars. Don't know why, I'm aware it had its faults. Good Christ, am I aware of that - there's nothing more vocal than a SF geek who's seen a movie he didn't like, and when it came out the little darlings were falling over themselves to spout vitriol.
But it depends what you mean by a "Mars Movie." Ghosts of Mars is, as far as I can tell, a fairly standard monster/horror flick, except it's set on Mars. Something to do with people being possessed by the spirits of the long-dead Martians, or something? Straight transposition of the old Indian Burial Ground thing, basically.
I haven't seen Red Planet, either. I think what you're looking for is the perfect Martian Mission movie, which Mission to Mars certainly wasn't. Nor was Escape from Mars, a TV film I saw on satellite a while back. Right now I'd say the best "Mars Movie" out there would be Capricorn One or Conquest of Space.
I even enjoyed Robinson Crusoe on Mars. . . 8)
One day someone will do a decent adaptation of Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy (Red, Green and Blue Mars). Until then. . .
posted
I believe Cameron still has the film rights to that trilogy.
-------------------- "I was surprised by the matter-of-factness of Kafka's narration, and the subtle humor present as a result." (Sizer 2005)
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I saw Mission to Mars, Red Planet, and Ghost of Mars. Ghosts is just a horror flci based on Mars. Mission to Mars was bring, and the only thing good in Red Planet was to see that Matrix girl Trinity taking a shower.
-------------------- Matrix If you say so If you want so Then do so
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I recall hearing that Bradbury was working on another film interpretation of The Martian Chronicles, but that isn't really about Mars. At least, not the Mars we know.
Registered: Mar 1999
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Well Robinson's Mars Trilogy was such a boring set of books I wouldn't hold my breath for a great movie out of them. Of course hollywood has a way of shortening up overly wordy book such as these.
[ March 30, 2002, 17:09: Message edited by: Grokca ]
-------------------- "and none of your usual boobery." M. Burns
Registered: Oct 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Grokca: [QB]Well Robinson's Mars Trilogy was such a boring set of books I wouldn't hold my breath for a great movie out of them.QB]
What?!? I really liked 'em. Mind you I wouldn't be surprised if Hollywood cocks it up. They usually do with book adaptions.
-------------------- "I am an almost extinct breed, an old-fashioned gentleman, which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-bitch when it suits me." --Jubal Harshaw
Registered: Feb 2002
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I know that (in fact, that was what I was repeating over and over as Arnold impaled like five people on a spike). I'm just saying, can this guy tone down his films a bit? I mean, look at "Showgirls" and "Basic Instinct"...
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Red Planet was generally poor, but intriguing in places, I have to say. But I want to see a Venus movie for a change damn it!
I want to see a movie where Val Kilmer steps out on to the horrific Venusian surface, and be instantly flattened into a small organic disc by the atmospheric pressure.
I'd buy a ticket.
-------------------- "To the Enterprise and the Stargazer. Old girlfriends we'll never meet again." - Scotty
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