Red Mars
Not just another Mars movie (funny how Hollywood spits out similar movies from different studios within months or weeks of eachother...).
Scuttles and his favorite Minion were somewhat reluctant to see what we thought would be "just another Mars movie", but we were pleasantly surprised by how different Red Mars was from the earlier Mission to Mars. While there are a few plot similarities... such as unexpected technical difficulties caused by "freak" natural events, and the prerequisite rough landing, the two stories are very different. Red Mars has elements that reminded me of "Pitch Black", an excellent sci-fi horror flick.
This movie is a veritable roller-coaster ride, with lots of action and decent storytelling. There was, however, some evidence of ruthless editing which leaves you a little foggy on some of the character developments and resulting interpersonal reactions. All in all, this is a great movie to see on the big screen. The rental will be fun too, but try to see it in the theater.
