Overview: Val Kilmer and Carrie-Anne Moss headline the sci-fi adventure Red Planet, an exciting glimpse into a future where humankind’s last hope for survival rests on escaping the bounds of Earth and colonizing the cosmos.

In the not-so-distant future, the ecological crisis on Earth has taken a turn for the worse, and humanity’s only hope may lie in seeking refuge on neighboring Mars.

After years of unmanned missions to terraform the planet, a crew of astronauts aboard Mars-1 are finally sent to establish Earth’s first Martian colony.

But a giant solar flare sends their landing module crash-landing on the planet, leaving our pioneers stranded in a harsh crimson wasteland. As the crew battle the elements and rising inner tensions, they soon discover that Mars’ newly formed atmosphere has had unexpected and terrifying consequences.

With a stellar supporting cast including Tom Sizemore and Terence Stamp and cinematography by Peter Suschitzky (The Empire Strikes Back), Red Planet is an out-of-this-world spectacle presented here in stunning 4K Ultra HD.

4K Blu-ray Verdict: Traditionally, science fiction movies and television, and science fiction books and short stories have appealed to different audiences. science fiction movies and television often have very little science, but are rather fantastic adventure stories depending for their appeal upon action, acting, and allegory.

By contrast, while science fiction books and short stories retain action, a great many have had slightly awkward characterization and somewhat contrived plots but also are based on far more science and technology.

Red Planet reverses this tradition entirely. The strong point in this film is in the visual effects, which are spectacular, and the science and technology are head and shoulders above most science fiction movies, but everything else suffers.

Val Kilmer and Carrie-Anne Moss both show great evidence of talent, but their performances are choppy, and the other performances are not so good at all. The cause of the problem is obvious. Neither the director nor the screenwriters have much experience, and it shows.

In general, the plot is not pulled together well, and the inexperienced director is either unable to extract the best performances, or unable to edit them properly. The effect is of 2001: a Space Odyssey, re-edited from the outtakes, visually and scientifically strong, but not a harmonious work of art.

That all said, this movie could be an under-appreciated gem however, for the right person. The plot and scientific elements are not so accurate so as to be probable science, but they are as good as it gets for hard science fiction on screen. If you can put up with indifferent acting and somewhat contrived plotting, the comparative soundness of the science and the great visuals will make this a winner.

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
4K Ultra HD (2160p) Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
The Martian Chronicles, a brand new interview with visual effects supervisor Jeffrey A. Okun
Suit Up, a brand new interview with helmet and suits designer Steve Johnson Angry Red Planet, a brand new visual retrospective with film critic Heath Holland
Deleted scenes
Theatrical trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin
Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Mark A. Altman

Official Trailer

Official Purchase Link

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