Passage to Mars

source: Passage to Mars

Granted all those nice and exciting things as mentioned by other viewers (e.g. astronauts, engineers etc), but this is not even within a mile near anywhere that I would describe as 'film entertainment' because the story is a series of challenges (of survival) that you might expect in the north pole. Don't get me wrong that this is not a serious attempt to create an interesting story. It is. If this is the type of documentary you want to see, fair enough. I thought I should give it a go too, but I was wrong about myself and what might engage me. I was bored stiff and desperately contemplating to press the stop button on the remote. Half way into the film, I did - had enough.

Spoiler alert, this is not about the planet Mars! So, a diesel engine for a test for Mars..... Nasa newer heard of solar power, the most idiotic test for going to another planet. Testing and ice vehicle for a planet that has no water or ice we know of... Having a sonar thingy that can scan only under the vehicle, so sees cracks when your already in the hole..... Look at the cute polar bear...awwwww, lucky he didn't eat us...or unlucky for the viewers who must go through another hour of fails after fails, stupid ways of doing simple things, and such a crazy lack of imagination on what a Mars exploration vehicle should be, it cries incompetence. For those who want something about Mars, this is not it, its a team of people who wanna play Mars explorers on ice with a Humvee and that do stupid things every 15 minutes. Amusing in a way.....

as other reviews have stated ,some nice shots , but passage to mars ? If anything it shows why were never going anywhere as single point failures abound ,and that's on Earth , add no atmosphere and no air supplies and ... Its a shame they didn't have to suit up every time they went outside and carry there own air and co2 scrubbers . And a diesel vehicle ? and at least show they were doing more science than drilling a hole to see how thick the ice was and how old ..duh !. How did they go to the toilet ? Did they save up there waste in case they had to grow potatoes on Devon island ??? So many interesting things were left unexplored ,even there own thoughts and fears were sort of disneyfied . Oh dear.

If you wish to be bored out of your mind then please do watch this documentary, a few people climb into an arctic vehicle and plod along the snow and ice, break down a couple of times and carry on. That's it that's all that happens, you get a few shots of Mars but nothing out of the ordinary. If you have to watch a something featuring vehicles and snow then watch the Top Gear Polar Special instead, it's so much more entertaining than this. Fair play to them for putting up with the conditions of working out there but it does not make for entertaining viewing, I just couldn't wait for it to finish, if they had to make an episode out of it then they should have cut it down to 30 minutes.

Frozen landscapes and views of dead Martian rocks are beautiful - so are they on YouTube; the comparison, although not new, was not a bad idea, but that is about all. All right, it is supposed to simulate what explorers of the planet mars can expect to live through. But every picture of Mars this movie shows is about red dust in a cold rocky desert, and you'd expect NASA to plan its space expeditions a little better. I found the movie extremely boring due to the background commentary from a member of the crew telling us every minute how the crew risks to die at every instant. After all, *they* decided to cross the arctic at the wrong season and at the most dangerous place without a backup plan, so they better either be enthusiastic about it or not go. It makes me think of all these horror movies where a family goes purposely spend a week in a haunted house just to see if they can make it out, except these don't sound depressed before even entering the house. Is is even a documentary or a survival drama? Where is the suspense if a technical problem happens: they have about a week to fix their low-budget van, you know the film stops if the cameraman sinks, and you do want this voice to sink anyway so that you can finally admire the gorgeous landscapes in the natural silence these people went to disturb.

A Mars-Arctic road movie that blows your imagination. A miracle for a science documentary. Usually those bore me a bit. i clicked with this one right away. I was almost sure I would leave the room (my friend downloaded this on iTunes). Watched the first 5 minutes, then 10, 20... Couldn't let it go. Something hypnotic about it. Trying to think what it was... The story? OK, even though it's a classic dangerous trek in the wilderness, this one is very different. The goals and series of incidents... The landscapes, Arctic and Martian are definitely what grabs you (the sound of it, the silence as well) - the crew: these guys a super low key but that what makes it worthy: they leave room for you to get on board and journey with them!! the music, for sure, but at the end I think it's the narration and the way these diaries catch your emotion and though process. It's not only about hard adventure, it's about our place in the universe. that is what definitely got me on board.

Passage to Mars is one of the best documentaries on space exploration matters I have seen in years. Actually, no... It's not a documentary. And here is why... The film qualities are countless: astonishing cinematography, editing, scoring and innovative narration style (for a documentary, using the voice over as the expedition's leader diaries vs a usual "witness narrator", was a great path). But beyond a cinematic successful enterprise - or, perhaps, because of it - the film manages to take you to other worlds. Beyond the "road movie" - a NASA 2,000 mile - never before attempted sea ice crossing - this trek is a fable, almost an allegory, by the poetry blending with ethereal landscapes where our own thoughts get unleashed and free to reflect on our own existence and the very meaning of our destiny. Here, in space, or anywhere. The way Passage to Mars ventures into unknown territories (the Arctic and Mars), it can barely be categorized in the documentary genre. Just call it a film, that's what it is. An artistic exploration of the unknown and of our deepest soul. "Why do we Explore?", to quote the film, is what the film is about. And I loved it, beyond the spectacular and entertaining quality of the film. Makes your mind roving. Passage to Mars is, to me, a Passage between Science (the NASA expedition) and Fiction (our destiny in space and on Mars). So, perhaps, this is the purest science fiction film you can find this month.

Saw this doc. with my two young sons on a big screen. I had the feeling to really take them to another planet. What we loved is that it's a real adventure. The landscape, the story, the narration, and above all, those actual images of Mars that I had never seen before. The film took me off guard. I din't know what to expect. The style is both cutting edge and classic. Classic because the story telling reminded me of some old epic adventure movies. This expedition journals, keep you on track with dates, temperatures and locations with amazing, beautiful animated maps, adding to the feeling of being on board with these NASA guys. The Mars imagery is stunning (I wish there were more, it's just fascinating), but after all, they are preparing the Martian journey here, on Earth, in what seems to be the next most hostile environment after Mars: the high Arctic. Also, loved the characters. They don't speak much, they are in their world, and we are invited to share their world. You learn many things about Mars and yet, what stays with you, is the beauty and the mystery of it all. It makes you want to go there, to be an explorer. Stunning and sometimes scary. Just bought it again on Amazon for the kids.

Well, in these last 2 0r 3 decades, I thought the spirit of adventure had died. On the field as well as on screen. The times of Cousteau were gone and the excitement of exploration, curiosity, gone with him and a few others who had showed us a new path. At least, that's what my childhood had been made of. Passage to Mars proves me wrong. This spirit is still alive.Not this adventure of man struggling against wilderness, but adventure with a purpose. Here, to cross 2,000 miles of Arctic sea ice to bring to an isolated NASA outpost a rover, and train for Mars exploration. Starting as an icy road movie, the film transforms the experience into an immersive extra- terrestrial journey, at times ethereal and fascinating, where both the whiteout and Martian storms merge. You learn a lot of new things about Mars, and especially why we have to go there: the quest for life. Another life. But what kind of life awaits behind those Martian fogs? The pace is quite perfect. From high speed action to slower moments of silent landscapes on Earth and on Mars. You don't really get to know the crew members. However, you feel you share their journey, right with them, aboard the Humvee. The film delivers an optimistic message beyond it's entertaining quality, and poses some crucial questions about our very existence. We loved it.