Letters to Space (Imagined) - Mars Mailbag, 000317


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	Letters to Space (Imagined) - Mars Mailbag, 000317 By posted: 03:41 pm ET 17 March 2000

NEW PAGE: MISSION TO MARS LETTERS

Mission to Mars: is it an inspiring but flawed work or just another dud with pretty pictures? Our readers weigh in:

After seeing a special screening of Mission to Mars courtesy of SPACE.com, I can tell you that this film reflects more Hollywood than NASA. Even though the venerable blue meatball is seen in just about every scene and the mission is loosely based on Zubrin's Mars Direct plan, that's pretty much where all comparisons to astronauts and their mission ended for me.

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I came to realize that what this movie and it's characters truly lacked was the astronaut personality. The characters were more touchy-feely than true representatives of "the right stuff."

Even Gary Sinese -- who should know how to play an astronaut after his captivating performance in Apollo 13 -- loses his way depicting a top gun who is struggling with the loss of his wife to cancer.

With all the filmmakers' attention focused on depicting ideas that are mere shadows of 2001, and making certain that product placement of Dr. Pepper and M&M's were main plot points, the story of Mission to Mars is akin to what may have been the real life cause of the demise of the Mars Polar Lander . . . flaws in its design.

-- James DeRuvo

James is involved in "

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