Red Planet

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VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Van Kilmer</div> <div> <IMG SRC="92e637d0.png" border=0 width="99" height="125" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Terence Stamp</div> <div> <IMG SRC="92f63710.png" border=0 width="99" height="113" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Simon Baker</div> <div> <IMG SRC="93063780.png" border=0 width="99" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Tom Sizemore </div> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> Red Planet</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="435" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 227 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="8135e8c0.jpg" border=0 width="94" height="140" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="92b636a0.png" border=0 width="99" height="106" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">   <IMG SRC="92c63750.png" border=0 width="99" height="117" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>                        Benjamin Bratt               Carrie-Anne Moss  </div> <div>  <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/b00003cx44/reelmoviecriticc">Red Planet DVD used from $8.75....new at $16.99...</A>  </div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>Red Planet</B> *** (PG-13)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Reviewed By George O. Singleton</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="549" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="545"><div> Earth to Mars Part II- 2000</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="580" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="341"><div> Robby Gallagher: Van Kilmer</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Dr. Burchenal: Tom Sizemore</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Commander Kate Bowman: Carrie-Anne Moss</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Ted Santen: Benjamin Bratt</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="341"><div> Chip Pettengill: Simon Baker</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Dr. Chantillas: Terence Stamp</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="341"><div> Director: Antony Hoffman</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="232"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="232" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: Earth is over populated and polluted, to the extent that a planned exodus of all humans will take place, to Mars. A crew from Earth is on a mission to Mars to reverse the man made oxygen levels, which have recently dropped. This problem must be solved for the movement of man to the Red Planet. </div> <bR> <div> See cast pictures on the left.......<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" >..</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:</B> </div> <div> In the year 2000 it was determined that man needed to relocate, en masse, to Mars, because the resources of the earth will be used up in the 21st century. Mars is being transformed to grow plants to sustain humans. By 2025, things take a turn for the worse, when it's detected that oxygen levels are diminishing rather than increasing. In 2057, man is ready for the first manned mission to Mars. A small crew, including a drone named (Aimee), is sent on to the planet to determine the cause, and to fix the problem.</div> <bR> <div> Commander Bowman (Carrie-Anne Moss) leads the crew. She is a Sigourney Weaver (<I>Alien)</I> type leader, but with a more feminine side. The normal assortment of personalities populate the crew, with Santen (Benjamin Bratt) and Robby Gallagher (Val Kilmer), whom you expect to take on great roles as the story unfolds. </div> <bR> <div> During the six-month trip to Mars, the crew is anxious to get off the ship and to accomplish the mission. Shortly before landing on Mars, they encounter massive solar flares, which damage the space ship. The crewmembers use the escape module to land on Mars, while Bowman remains on board to repair the ship.</div> <bR> <div> On mars is an uninhabited building complex,  that is to be the home of the crew when they arrive which has enough with food for six months. The crew has a rough, off course landing, and must get there before they run out of air. As they attempt to find the shelter they must overcome numerous obstacles. As expected, some crewmembers survive and others do not.</div> <bR> <div> Eventually it's time to return to the space ship for the journey back to Earth.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>: </div> <div> There is one other character whose name could have been Hal 2000 (from <I>2001: A Space</I> <I>Odyssey</I>) but it is called Lucille. She is the on board computer that has conversations with Commander Bowman about the state of the ship, and what plans and equipment will and will not work. Thrown in is the sarcastic wise cracking commentary we hear on the TV show <I>Law and Order</I>. This allows Bowman to have conversations with someone other than herself when she is alone on the ship.</div> <bR> <div> The creativity of the crew is spectacular as they use their smarts to make Mars inhabitable, and to make it back to the orbiting space ship for the return home to Earth. Many of the events truly stretch the imagination, although not as much as the crew's activities in <I>Mission to Mars</I> earlier this year. </div> <bR> <div> The better of the two films is <I>Mission to Mars,</I> and that may only be because it was released first. The space travel and survival sequences are very similar. While <I>Mission</I> deals with the creation of earth, <I>Red Planet</I> stays away from matters of spiritual faith, and is more of a <I>Star Wars</I> film, with a drone that has a mind of it's own. </div> <bR> <div> My rating is raised to three stars, based on two conditions. The first is that you have not seen <I>Mission to Mars</I>, and the second is that you like science fiction films. Other than that, it's a two star movie. Both were ready to be released at the same time and it's just as well that was not the case. When two movies are made at the same time that are so similar, it might be a good idea to let a full year pass, so the second film does not have to fight the memory of the first one. But even with such a short time between these two, the memory of both fades fast. </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> PG (sex; nudity; drugs; violence; language)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> George O. Singleton © 2000</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>George@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Mini Filmography </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Van Kilmer: <I>The Saint</I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Tom Sizemore: <I>Bringing out the Dead</I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Carrie-Anne Moss: <I>The Matrix</I></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Benjamin Bratt: <I>The Next Best Thing</I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Simon Baker: <I>Restaurant</I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><div> Terence Stamp: <I>The Limey</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Antony Hoffman: <I>Debut Film</I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="286" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>