Mission To Mars (2000)

25% of critics liked it
(110 reviews)
33% of users liked it
(51,403 ratings)

Brian De Palma directed this science-fiction suspense story. When the United States sends its first manned mission to Mars, hopes are high for new scientific discoveries, but many of those hopes are dashed when the Mars crew meets an unexplained disaster; three members of the mission are killed, and… More Brian De Palma directed this science-fiction suspense story. When the United States sends its first manned mission to Mars, hopes are high for new scientific discoveries, but many of those hopes are dashed when the Mars crew meets an unexplained disaster; three members of the mission are killed, and a fourth (Don Cheadle) loses all radio contact with the Earth. A rescue mission sets out to bring back the one survivor; in the process, they discover that Mars may not be a dead planet after all, and uncover some startling evidence about the fate of their predecessors. The rescue crew includes Gary Sinise, Jerry O'Connell, Connie Nielsen and Tim Robbins. The screenplay was partially by award-winning playwright Ted Tally, who won an Oscar for his adapted screenplay of The Silence of the Lambs. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 52 min.
Directed By: Brian DePalma
Written By: Jim Thomas, John Thomas, Graham Yost
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Mar 10, 2000 Wide
On DVD: Jun 4, 2002
Studio: Touchstone Pictures

Critic Reviews

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Despite a few breathtaking snapshots en route, it can't quite figure out the aesthetic itinerary -- where it's heading and why.
Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News
Mission to Mars is blandly directed by Brian De Palma.
Jay Carr, Boston Globe
Mission to Mars is sentimental, corny, and at times irredeemably campy.
David Ansen, Newsweek
On so many levels, a risibly bad movie.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
De Palma can still use a camera, but he no longer seems to be using his head.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
A movie as cold and distant as the Red Planet itself.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
So-so sci-fi; may be too intense for some kids.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
Whatever's shoddy or limp about Mission to Mars, however conspicuous while the film unfolds, all becomes admirably pale as the full viewing experience recedes and the good stuff emerges in proud bas-relief.
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
Mission to Mars' redemptive coda opened the door for the subsequent film's continuing figurative and literal sanguinity.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
The race for the worst movie of the year is on!
Ron Wells, Film Threat
Typically, while a good screenplay only requires a single author, this unimaginative, derivative dreck required at least four, even with the massive cribbing from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Philip Strick, Sight and Sound
There's some throwaway fancy camerawork at the beginning and a repeat of his shock-shot trick from Raising Cain, but otherwise De Palma's own ride appears to be largely on autopilot.
Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
The too-many-cooks rule applies to this script, which borrows wantonly from sci-fi classics of the past.
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
If Brian DePalma's Mission to Mars were a book, it would have a yellow cover and the title '2001 for Dummies.'
Francesca Dinglasan, Boxoffice Magazine
It's the waste of the impressive ensemble cast on cheap, pedestrian dialogue and a tabloid-style hypothesis of Martian civilization that makes this Mission impossible to watch.

Read all 15 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

xGary X

An interplanetary mission is launched to the red planet to discover the fate of an scientific team stationed there. Directorial hack Brian DePalma once again cack-handedly fails to conjure any sense of wonder or tension in this half arsed space adventure that's all dry techno… More
An interplanetary mission is launched to the red planet to discover the fate of an scientific team stationed there. Directorial hack Brian DePalma once again cack-handedly fails to conjure any sense of wonder or tension in this half arsed space adventure that's all dry techno babble at the start, giving way to ludicrous alien encounters at the end. The first half is basically Apollo 13 but even more dull, full of clumsy melodrama and absurd flag waving while the second tries desperately (and fails miserably) to create the kind of wonderment of 2001 or Close Encounters. Basically you have to endure an hour of space bound boredom just to find out that the pay off is really weak CGI and some unbelievably patronizing dialogue. It's a shame that a decent cast got involved in this simplistic nonsense, mainly because it's what duped me into sitting through it. Zero suspense in zero gravity.
Conner R

With a better budget and access to special effects, it would have been a great film. However, I don’t think we’ll ever get to see what Brian De Palma envisioned when he started working on this project. The performances are really what make it a compelling and interesting space… More
With a better budget and access to special effects, it would have been a great film. However, I don’t think we’ll ever get to see what Brian De Palma envisioned when he started working on this project. The performances are really what make it a compelling and interesting space movie, but it’s just a visual disaster. Some things look very good, but don’t even come close to something like 2001: A Space Odyssey. I also really liked the idea and I think it would have been extremely effective had things worked out.
Tim S

Interesting, but poorly executed.
Anthony L

Not a great film but it?s a bit of escapism innit. It has some really funny moments (all unintentional though!)
Alexander W

I enjoyed this sci caper that tells about Mars exploration and what could happen if we find that there is room for life on the hostile planet. Although I think the end 20 minutes was a bit over the top. Good for the dads and sons of the family to watch on the weekend.
Morgan S

Out of all the nastey death scenes I've seen in the movies, there was one in here that I find the MOST DESTURBING! The guy gets sucked up by the wind tunnel and is spinning sooooo fast that his limbs are ripped off!! My mouth literly fell open when I saw that. It was just,,,,ahh… More
Out of all the nastey death scenes I've seen in the movies, there was one in here that I find the MOST DESTURBING! The guy gets sucked up by the wind tunnel and is spinning sooooo fast that his limbs are ripped off!! My mouth literly fell open when I saw that. It was just,,,,ahh discusting!
Film C

i liked this movie but i hated the ending it was pretty unbelievable i like sci fi's but i dont like some movies where its going well and you think there is going to be a great ending but end up giving you a shit excse as to way things happened its like the ending to indiana… More
i liked this movie but i hated the ending it was pretty unbelievable i like sci fi's but i dont like some movies where its going well and you think there is going to be a great ending but end up giving you a shit excse as to way things happened its like the ending to indiana jones 4 which i also didnt like as it was great and then the ending is a let down!!
Pierluigi P

Clearly inspired by Kubrick's 2001, DePalma visits outer space, weaving a planetary panspermia theory of evolution, and choreographing some impressive shots. Despite the weaknesses of the story, and the exclusively scientific and introspective point of view, the last minutes are… More
Clearly inspired by Kubrick's 2001, DePalma visits outer space, weaving a planetary panspermia theory of evolution, and choreographing some impressive shots. Despite the weaknesses of the story, and the exclusively scientific and introspective point of view, the last minutes are lifted audibly, visually and emotionally by Ennio Morricone's ethereal music; and the capableness of its director and lead actor.
Douglas W C

This movie was pretty good until the cheesy ending. Though it is funny how Depalma waited until Kubrick passed away to completely Rip off 2001.
Dan S

To doggone long, and Robbins hammed it up real bad.
Curtis L

Pretty stupid.
Candy R

Movie about a trip to Mars and what do they find?
Mike S

Ok movie, but got very silly in the end. They should have some better cgi people next time :P
Jason S

They paid a lot of money to kill off Tim Robbins five minutes in.
danny d

Don Cheadle should have run from this movie.
Aaron N

Flawed film, but good casting makes it enjoyable. A very strange choice for De Palma. A lot of good scenes make this movie better than it should be, but at points it tries to be an almost epic journey, when it really isn't.
Luke B

A film that is so terribly ridiculous it should almost be good. Unfortunately the cast play it dead serious, as though they are tackling hard hitting issues. It is ultimately a forgettable film with no redeeming qualities.
Nate Z

[font=Arial][color=darkred]Mission to Mars' begins with a team of astronaughts making the first manned mission to the red planet. Unfortunately things go... um, bad, and thus with no knowledge of any survivors and the six month time period it takes to travel to Mars, NASA sends… More
[font=Arial][color=darkred]Mission to Mars' begins with a team of astronaughts making the first manned mission to the red planet. Unfortunately things go... um, bad, and thus with no knowledge of any survivors and the six month time period it takes to travel to Mars, NASA sends out a rescue mission. More things go bad.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]The setting is supposed to be 2020, but everything looks exactly like 1980. In the future there seems to be heavy reliance on product placement. From Dr. Pepper, to M&Ms, to having the damn Mars buggy plastered with Penzoil and Kawasaki. Are these astronaughts Earth's interstellar door-to-door salesmen? I was half expecting them to nix the American flag and firmly plant one for Nike. Maybe the future's just this way because they drink from square beer. Square![/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Director Brian DePalma unleashes fantastic special effect after another, but they can only sugarcoat the bitter taste 'Mars' resides in your mouth. 'Mission to Mars' is tragically slow paced, full of interchangable and indiscernible characters, and begging for some kind of insight. Don Cheadle and Gary Sinise prove that no matter how great an actor you are, when you're given cheesy sci-fi dialogue, it's still cheesy.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]The fault lies with the more than three screenwriters, and DePalma himself. Plain and simple, DePalma has become a hack! His good days ('Carrie', 'Scarface', 'The Untouchables') are clearly behind him on his new downward slide. 'Mars' in any other director's hands would no doubt be different -- and that's no bad thing. DePalma's style of appropriations rapes the earlier, better, and more insightful '2001' and 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'. DePalma and his relentlessly swinging stedicam doesn't create art anymore - he creates masturbations of art.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]'Mars' is surprisingly and sadly devoid of any tension or suspense. The suspense was likely killed in the efforts to portray an "accurate and realistic NASA manned planetary exploration". Yet the scientific inaccuracies in this "accurate" portrayal are far too numerous to mention - let alone remember all of them. You cannot have tension during a problematic situation when the score is blaring church organs![/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]One can suspend belief and enjoy movies, but 'Mars' is a listless journey toward sentimental other-worldly beings that just want a hug. The friendly alien thing seems to have been driven dry by now. Can we have them destroying our cities again? Pretty please.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: C-[/color][/font]
Matt P

The visuals are definitely arresting, but the story behind them is too timid and unadventurous to keep up with them.
Daniel P

By turns boring & sanctimonious and unintentionally hilarious, <i>Mission To Mars</i> is a cowpat of a film and surely the nadir of Brian DePalma's career.