Mission to Mars

It starts as solid-looking, smart science fiction with elements of drama, but it gradually turns into a wannabe philosophical nonsense that not even the the relatively decent visuals, the highly talented cast, and the suspense of the plot can save. The closer we get to the end, the more senseless this endeavor becomes. It opens with a monumental raising of the flag, continues with the survivor of a shipwreck, and the powerful ending can be seen in the form of a face and the fact that “they are us and we are them”. Stupid. Brian De Palma completely off the rails, or this is what happens when someone lets their imagination run wild and doesn't stick to what they do best. (01.10.2007)