ROVING MARS

In the middle of producing his MOVIEGUIDE® commended movie ENDURANCE: SHACKLETON’S DANGEROUS VOYAGE, George Butler heard from his editor that the Mars rovers would have Imax quality cameras. Immediately he knew that that was his next project.

With the help of Frank Marshall, Mr. Butler has brought together the talents of the Jet Propulsion Lab, Lucas Sound, NASA, and many others to create a surprisingly entertaining, dramatic documentary about sending two rovers to Mars. What makes this dramatic is a constant sense of jeopardy. Everything seems to be conspiring against the rover program. There is only a brief moment in time when the rockets could be launched. Reaching Mars successfully is like shooting a basketball from Los Angeles to New York without hitting the rim. With time running out, the parachutes rip, the equipment fails. Most Mars shots end in failure. When they make it to Mars with Spirit, the vehicle goes silent.

In other words, this is a very dramatic movie! And, by the end of it, the audience was concerned with the future of these two little robotic vehicles.

Of course, the cinematography in ROVING MARS is superb. Having reviewed several IMAX movies, it must be stated that this movie is sharp throughout the movie. The vistas are incredible, and the reconstructed sequences are breathtaking. Furthermore, the sound and music work together to create a total sensory experience.

Even jaded reviewers were impressed by the film. In a sense, the movie is almost old fashioned. The scientists involved in the Mars shoot were articulate, enthusiastic and virtuous. They were passionate about their Mars shoot. They worked together. They encouraged each other. They had faith in the ability to send the rover to Mars. They stepped right out of the pages of the early 50s with their enthusiasm, and there were no foul words uttered by any of them.

Furthermore, although the movie talks about the possibility of life on other planets, the only talk of dating talks about thousands of years of man’s knowledge of Mars, with no reference to evolution. There’s an implication that the erosion took place over time, but the movie avoids the thorny issues for people who believe in intelligent design or other theories about Creation.

Finally, the movie has a sense of wonder, which implies a creator, although that is not stated in the movie. Considering George Butler’s other works, there may be a conscious theistic view here, but it is not clearly stated.

All of this is to say that ROVING MARS is an enjoyable movie that has nothing to detract from its entertainment and educational value. The day after I saw it, I was heartily recommending it.