Opening

72% World War Z Jun 21
77% Monsters University Jun 21
61% The Bling Ring Jun 21
60% Maniac Jun 21
100% A Hijacking Jun 21
66% Unfinished Song Jun 21
100% The Attack Jun 21
—— The Haunting of Helena Jun 21

Top Box Office

55% Man of Steel $116.6M
85% This Is the End $20.7M
50% Now You See Me $11.0M
71% Fast & Furious 6 $9.6M
38% The Purge $8.3M
34% The Internship $7.1M
62% Epic $6.3M
87% Star Trek Into Darkness $6.3M
11% After Earth $4.1M
78% Iron Man 3 $3.0M

Coming Soon

—— How To Make Money Selling Drugs Jun 26
—— White House Down Jun 28
—— The Heat Jun 28
56% I'm So Excited! Jun 28

Mission To Mars (2000)

tomatometer

25

Average Rating: 4.1/10
Reviews Counted: 110
Fresh: 27 | Rotten: 83

Beauty only goes skin deep in this shallow but visually stunning film.

14

Average Rating: 3.8/10
Critic Reviews: 28
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 24

Beauty only goes skin deep in this shallow but visually stunning film.

audience

33

liked it
Average Rating: 2.6/5
User Ratings: 52,751

My Rating

Movie Info

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,

Jun 4, 2002

Touchstone Pictures - Official Site External Icon

Watch It Now

Cast

ADVERTISEMENT

All Critics (127) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (27) | Rotten (83) | DVD (12)

Despite a few breathtaking snapshots en route, it can't quite figure out the aesthetic itinerary -- where it's heading and why.

March 22, 2002 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail
Globe and Mail
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It'll give you an enjoyable tour of the Red Planet, complete with some thrills and sharp computer effects.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Mission to Mars is sentimental, corny, and at times irredeemably campy.

January 1, 2000
Boston Globe
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Mainly coarsens 2001 in its mix of cosmic consciousness and 'naturalistic' product placement.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Village Voice
Village Voice
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A film about space exploration that really knocks your eyes out.

January 1, 2000
Chicago Tribune
Top Critic IconTop Critic

This film is mind boggling and stupid, a derivative piece of doo-doo that's an embarrassment for all involved.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: CNN.com
CNN.com
Top Critic IconTop Critic

So-so sci-fi; may be too intense for some kids.

December 26, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

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.

July 14, 2009 Full Review Source: Nick's Flick Picks | Comments (2)
Nick's Flick Picks

Mission to Mars' redemptive coda opened the door for the subsequent film's continuing figurative and literal sanguinity.

August 27, 2006 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine

The race for the worst movie of the year is on!

May 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid
Combustible Celluloid

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.

December 8, 2002 Full Review Source: Film Threat
Film Threat

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.

December 2, 2002 Full Review Source: Sight and Sound
Sight and Sound

The too-many-cooks rule applies to this script, which borrows wantonly from sci-fi classics of the past.

October 15, 2002 Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati Enquirer

If Brian DePalma's Mission to Mars were a book, it would have a yellow cover and the title '2001 for Dummies.'

September 3, 2002 Full Review
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

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.

June 5, 2002 Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine
Boxoffice Magazine

Bears the distinct imprint of helmer De Palma, still one of the best visualists to work in the action/adventure genre.

March 7, 2002 Full Review Source: Matinee Magazine
Matinee Magazine

The film just doesn't offer anything new to the genre, so why bother making it?

February 28, 2002 Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies

Silly, turgid and devoid of even the hints of original thinking, Mission to Mars is a testament to shameless creative theft.

October 24, 2001 Full Review Source: Flipside Movie Emporium
Flipside Movie Emporium

All I can really say for the film is this: they meant well.

April 2, 2001 Full Review Source: Needcoffee.com
Needcoffee.com

Avoid at all costs.

April 2, 2001 Full Review Source: Film Written Magazine
Film Written Magazine

I gave up on this barren mission before it ever left earth.

February 15, 2001 Full Review
Norman Transcript

Mo matter how well Cheadle and Sinise tackle the material, they still come off woodenly.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Oregonian
Oregonian

a rather B-script with some G-force actors.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Hollywood Report Card
Hollywood Report Card

Mission to Mars reveals nothing we haven't seen in other space movies.

January 1, 2000
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Audience Reviews for Mission To Mars

What a ridiculous pseudo-philosophical sci-fi that makes no sense. Morricone's score is beautiful as always, but the horrid script is utterly implausible and illogical, with a blatant disregard for details and coherence.
November 28, 2012
blacksheepboy

Super Reviewer

This was the first of two films released in 2000 that detailed trips to Mars. Incidentally, both movies were also quite poorly received by critics and audiences. Either people just had a hate for our neighboring planet, or we just coincidentally happened to get two similar bad films in the same year.

The kicker with this one is that there's a good and interesting concept and ideas going on, and talented people involved, but things end up being a big messy failure. I place some blame on Brian De Palma, whose direction seems really lazy , and the screenwriters, who deliver a poorly written script with way too much cribbing from many far better films. And then there's also the characters, who should be smart since they're scientists, but act really dumb and unprofessional.

I would like to say that the actors involved tried, since they are talents like Gary Sinise, Don Cheadle, and Tim Robbins, but even they seem to be sleeping through things, and failure to be all that compelling or interesting. At least Connie Nielsen is there to function (for straight men anyways) as a bit of eye candy.

Even for 2000, the special effects are laughably bad, and really undercut any credibility of the movie or the developments of the plot they are connected to It's hard to take any of this seriously, and it's painful to look at. Like I said though, the film does have a nice concept to it, which is as follows: man's first trip to Mars doesn't end well, so another team is sent to rescue any survivors and figure out what happened. When the second team arrives, they discover some startling revelations where humanity and life are concerned. Having seen this after seeing Prometheus, I can't enjoy this as much sicne both are quite similar, but not entirely the same. That film was at least better acted, well made, and actually had some excitement to it. This one is just boring and dull.

Since its De Palma, there is some decent camera work, and at least one trademark long take, but nothing all that great like in some of his other films. The only real thing that's without a doubt good is the score by Ennio Morricone. It's far from his best work, but it's still pretty good, and does save the movie from being a total failure. It's just too bad it's not associated with something better.

Despite his influence and skill, De Palma remains a real hit and miss director. I tried to give this one a chance, but I can easily see why this is clearly one of his worst.
August 21, 2012
cosmo313
Chris Weber

Super Reviewer

No quotes approved yet for Mission To Mars. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Discussion Forum

There are no discussion threads for Mission To Mars yet.

What's Hot On RT

24 Frames
24 Frames

Pictures from a zombie nation

Blue Jasmine
Blue Jasmine

Woody Allen in San Francisco

<em>The Hobbit</em>
The Hobbit

See the Desolation of Smaug trailer!

Summer Scorecard
Summer Scorecard

Where does This Is the End rank?

Latest News on Mission To Mars

June 21, 2012:
The Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Movie Has a Director (And a Star)
Summit hires commercials director Bryan Buckley to take over, with Reese Witherspoon attached to...
Help | About | Jobs | Critics Submission | API | Licensing | Mobile