Red Planet

Part two of my year 2000 Mars film retrospective, Red Planet starts out almost exactly the same as did last week's Mission to Mars - right down to the machine-of-the-gods-style random event just as they reach orbit that nearly derails the mission (and drives most of the survival portion of the action).  Indeed, for a long while it doesn't feel as if any of the crew are safe, to the point that I was beginning to think this was a very high tech snuff film.

Instead, the crew finds Mars air inexplicably breathable, with an atmosphere caused by - something.  But the science has to take a back seat while they race across the surface to reach a way off the planet, before their rescue ship must return home.

They make an effort to explain "gravity" in space, and are even somewhat consistent with its application (and absence as necessary), but most of the special effects budget was spent on AMEE, their military hand-me-down, overly-complicated, psychopathic robotic scout.  Overall, with its solid cast of B-movie actors led by then stars Carrie-Ann Moss (hot from the Matrix) and Val Kilmer, this was a decent B-grade sci fi action film.

Red Planet
2000, 106 minutes, directed by Antony Hoffman