Red Planet (2000)

2 out of 4

Starring: Carrie-Anne Moss, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Simon Baker, Benjamin Bratt, Terence Stamp

Director: Antony Hoffman

Time: 106 mins

There are a lot of "seconds" associated with Red Planet. It is the second sci-fi film Carrie-Anne Moss has made in Australia, following The Matrix. It is the second space film released this year to be filmed in Australia, following Pitch Black. And it is also the second movie set on Mars to be released this year, following the awful Mission to Mars. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. Red Planet feels tired, and is tired. After all, there are so many disaster-in-space films one can take in such a short period of time. Not only did Mission to Mars and Pitch Black showcase spaceships malfunctioning/blowing up, but so did the more recent Space Cowboys. There is a good cast in Red Planet, but they struggle to keep the film from merely being a rehash of the earlier works.

The story is set in the near future, when Earth is overpopulated and overpolluted. A manned mission to Mars is launched, hoping to find signs of life and to make the hostile red planet more habitable. The crew consists of Commander Bowman (Carrie-Anne Moss), co-pilot Santen (Benjamin Bratt), Gallagher (Val Kilmer), Burchenall (Tom Sizemore), Chantilas (Terence Stamp), Pettengill (Simon Baker), and a robotic scouting dog named AMEE. When they near the Mars atmosphere, a sudden solar flare crosses their path and shuts down the ship's main power. The men (plus AMEE) make a forced landing on to the surface, while Bowman stays behind to repair the ship. With a limited amount of oxygen, a desolate landscape, and a suddenly aggressive AMEE to deal with, time is quickly running out.

If Red Planet had come out first, it might have seemed remotely like a breath of fresh air. As it is, it is the fourth disaster-in-space movie in the last twelve months, which imparts a sense of deja vu. I always look forward to space/sci fi movies, given the opportunities for creative storylines, fantastic visuals, and great sound effects, but Red Planet feels like another long trip to a familiar well. The lack of any reasonable suspense or excitement adds to the languid feel. The sound effects are enveloping and impressive, but after a while they call attention to themselves rather than enhance the movie (maybe it's because of the movie itself).

Val Kilmer is the notional star of the film, but he almost seems to be laughing at some of the plot he has to put himself through. Luckily he still received a pay cheque. Carrie-Anne Moss adds some feminine gloss to this male-dominated film, though she's given little to do except press a few buttons and looking in control. Sizemore, who was good in Heat and great in Saving Private Ryan, seems to be having a hard time containing himself from laughing as well. The rest of the cast are interesting, including Julia Roberts' boyfriend Benjamin Bratt, Terence Stamp from Superman 2 and Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, and Australia's Simon Baker (L.A. Confidential), but they have little screen time.

Director Hoffman obviously had a full arsenal of special effects and sound technicians at his disposal, as he puts them to good use. It's a pity the script by Chuck Pfarrer and Jonathan Lemkin is so mediocre. While not as derivative or as bad as Mission to Mars, Red Planet is only marginally better.

(c) Joe Wong (4 December 2000)