Mission To Mars parents guide

Mission To Mars Parent Guide

Overall B-

When the first manned spaceship to the Red Planet runs into trouble, NASA sends a second Mission to Mars to attempt a rescue. But things go badly for this crew too.

Release date March 10, 2000

Violence C+
Sexual Content B
Profanity B-
Substance Use C

Why is Mission To Mars rated PG? The MPAA rated Mission To Mars PG for sci-fi violence and mild language.

Run Time: 114 minutes

Parent Movie Review

From a family point of view, we should be bowing in gratitude for a sci-fi movie with a PG rating—almost as rare a find as a Martian rock in Antarctica. But before you get on your knees, understand that Mission To Mars, while enjoyable for teens and adults, will hardly go down as a classic even though it does its best to imitate Stanley Kubrick’s 2001—A Space Odyssey.

Mission To Mars Kubrick had us orbiting Jupiter in 2001, whereas Mission To Mars aims for the more humble timetable of people exploring the Red Planet in 2020. (Could NASA’s recent crash landings have account for this cultural shift?) Hopefully their script isn’t an accurate prediction. The first manned mission to land on Mars barely gets past the souvenir stand before being swallowed up in a tornado-like funnel. One crew member is broken apart like a frog in a blender and only the captain, Luke Graham (Don Cheadle), survives to send a weak message for help.

Mission To Mars Unsure what to make of the distress call, NASA is persuaded by a group of astronauts, training for the second Mars journey, to launch a rescue attempt. But the crew insists Jim McConnell (Gary Sinise) be part of this assignment. Jim was slated for the first Mars mission, but was deleted from the roster when his wife became ill and died. (Note Gary Sinise playing the same “rejected astronaut” as he did in Apollo 13).

Of course their voyage is besought by mishaps that create tense scenes, a couple of slightly graphic moments, and some mild profanities with disrespectful terms of Deity. Also, sexual conversation occurs between the married couple NASA included in the crew, however their marriage is portrayed in a very positive light.

Mission To Mars Mission To Mars is heavy on the usual “lost in space” lines (“We never did that in the simulator!”) and light on science (even with its answers to the questions of the universe). Yet it can still be a good trip, especially if you’re looking to take your older children along for the ride.

Directed by Brian De Palma. Starring Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, Don Cheadle. Running time: 114 minutes. Theatrical release March 10, 2000. Updated

Mission To Mars Parents' Guide

How do science fiction movies shape our attitudes about the future and space travel? In 1966, 2001—A Space Odyssey suggested we would be orbiting Jupiter by next year (this movie was made in 2000). Why have our expectations of space travel diminished over the last 34 years?

For current information on the latest happenings in space exploration, check NASA’s site at http://www.nasa.gov/news/

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Mission To Mars movie is June 4, 2002. Here are some details…

Related home video titles:

Space exploration is also featured in the movies 2001—A Space Odyssey, Apollo 13 and Star Trek.