Mars is Earth's closest planetary neighbor, and for decades scientists have been curious about the so-called "Red Planet," wondering if it's possible that life exists there, how its soil and terrain differs from our own, and if water can be found. While sending a manned space mission to Mars has been considered beyond the reach of America's space program, in 2001 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration approved a mission to send two "rovers" to Mars -- wheeled robots that would send
images and data back to Earth. A two-year crash program resulted in two robotic rovers (dubbed "Spirit" and "Opportunity") being sent to Mars, which have given scientists and researchers on Earth a brand new vision of what the planet is really like. Roving Mars is a documentary which offers a detailed look at the people behind the Mars rover program, how the machines were built and what they can do, and what has been learned since they reached their target. Roving Mars was shot and originally exhibited in the high-definition IMAX film format. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Not having a way to capture images of the machines at work means that too much of Butler's film ... is disappointingly made up of computer simulations.
It's harder still not to root for anthropomorphized Spirit and Opportunity as time and again they perform like whirring, beeping little robots-that-could, far exceeding the expectations of the people who designed and built them.
Only a series of pics featuring a set of strange little nodes that look like blueberries planted in a pile of red rocks carry any kind of translatable otherworldly kick.
The interaction of two amazing NASA roving robots, named "Spirit" and "Opportunity," with the mysterious terrain of Mars is authentically captured by writer/director George Butler on IMAX cameras.
Clocking in at a mere 40 minutes, and lacking much of the visual scope an IMAX presentation would have in its original viewing circumstances, Roving Mars comes across as a well-meaning shill for NASA's ongoing obsession with the angry red planet.
The first third of the film is weak, but from there it blasts off with strength and connects emotionally, visually, intellectually and even motivationally with the audience.
Too small for the giant Imax screen, Roving Mars is an interesting enough documentary about space exploration but doesn't deliver sufficient gee-whizzery.
Considering what it promises compared to what it actually delivers (especially when you factor in the inflated IMAX prices), even the most indulgent fan of space exploration is likely to walk away from Roving Mars feeling slightly ripped-off.
Brings you face to face with the amazingly complex rovers and the equally complex process behind their creation and launch. I would definitely suggest this to anyone with a strong interest in the exploration of space.
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