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  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Widescreen 2.35:1
  • 16:9 Enhanced
  • Dual Layer (RSDL )
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  Subtitles
    English - Hearing Impaired
  Extras
  • Deleted scenes
  • Theatrical trailer

Red Planet

Warner Bros./Roadshow Entertainment . R4 . COLOR . 102 mins . M15+ . PAL

  Feature
Contract

In the future, mankind has wrecked the planet and needs to find somewhere else to live. For twenty years they’ve been preparing Mars to have an oxygen atmosphere to sustain humans, but recently the oxygen levels have dropped. So, off to investigate the problem goes a team of American actors (U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A!) to save the day, find out what’s gone wrong and get things back on track. This crew contains Vil Kilmer, Trinity, Mr Julia Roberts and the guy from Heat that you just knew was gonna get nailed in the bank robbery scene.

However (you didn’t think it would go smoothly, did you?) in the tradition of movies desperate for plot, there’s a slight mishap and the guys in the crew evacuate and crashland on Mars while the token woman (Trinity) is left behind on the ship so the studio doesn’t have to pay to fly her to Australia to shoot the Mars scenes. She decides to screw ‘em all and wear a singlet in some scenes so the guys in the audience will only remember her and not the others and can freeze frame on her in perfect dvd quality.

Meanwhile, on the surface of Mars, the guys resort to blokey stuff like taking a piss together (thus my quote at the start of the review), blowing stuff up, trying to find a way to survive against a ship robot that’s gone totally batshit and try to get off Mars. Fun ahoy me mateys!

  Video
Contract

An absolute corker of a picture. First the bad bits. There's aliasing. Try to get over it. Now for the good bits. Absolutely everything else. The 2.35:1 16x9 enhanced picture has wonderful definition, a metric ton of detail and rich vibrant colours. If you bother mentioning any flaws with the transfer (other than the aliasing) you’re a git and need your head checked. The space shots have a fantastic inky black with sharp white pinpoint star fields and the CG work looks perfectly integrated with the live action. Considering the clarity of dvd can show up dodgy effects work, this one is very nice to look at. Even the very dark ship interior shots look great and give you plenty of gawking to do with the sets. Fine job lads, the beers are on me.

  Audio
Contract

Better duck! Hey, what was that! Did you hear that?! That’s the kind of DD5.1 mix they’ve tried to get out of this movie. Although it sounds great, sometimes you feel that it is using all 5.1 channels just for the sake of it, populating the channels with little environmental noises and subtle panning, and some not too subtle stuff. On the flipside, the sound is pretty dynamic, with lots happening and reproduction of the smallest elements sounding crystal clear. This is definitely one dvd that screams out to be played LOUD once the action kicks in.

  Extras
Contract

Considering this didn’t exactly do big business, and will probably be forgotten before long, it’s not suprising that we don’t have a very extensive extras package. It consists of Deleted Scenes which add just a little more characterization and chit-chat but don’t really amount to much, Cast Career Highlights which are movie listings for the cast and a few crew credits and a theatrical trailer( lots of screaming, typical deep American trailer voiceover man “In a world gone mad.. thumpathumpathumpa ...all hope is lost… AARRGHHH!!!!…thumpathumpathumpa …Pray they brought clean underwear.. NOOOOOO!!!! ARRGGHHH!!! WATCH OUT!!… THUMPATHUMPATHUMPA …What’s happening!? --KaBANG!-- Red Planet…. Coming soon…)

  Overall  
Contract

This isn’t a bad film. It’s not the Mona Lisa of sci-fi movies, more like one of those 15 minute portraits you can get from people sitting on little chairs in shopping centers. They look good, but ultimately you know that it will end up at the far end of the hall that people never walk past. As a momentary diversion from real life, it does fine with a nice quick slice of action to keep you entertained for a little over an hour and a half.

As a dvd, this package hardly screams for attention if you’re an Extras pig, but if you just want a good audio and visual transfer, then this one will serve your needs.


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      And I quote...
    "Whoah! Sure get some high arc in this low gravity, huh? –Sorry, it’s a guy thing."
    - Vince Carrozza
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Sony DVP-525
    • TV:
          Sony 68cm
    • Receiver:
          Sony STR-DB930
    • Speakers:
          Wharfedale s500
    • Centre Speaker:
          Polk Audio CS245
    • Surrounds:
          Wharfedale s500
    • Subwoofer:
          DB Dynamics TITAN
    • Audio Cables:
          Standard Optical
    • Video Cables:
          standard s-video
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