The exploration of Mars has been the subject of many science fiction productions, especially science fiction thrillers.  One of the best of these was David Tennant’s Doctor Who episode “Waters of Mars” where the good Doctor demonstrates the pitfalls of changing history when he rescues astronauts on a doomed mission to Mars.  The original Total Recall with Arnold Schwarzenegger only used the Mars exploration as a MacGuffin of sorts, but the overall movie resulted in a film classic and the use of Mars as backdrop gave us a new view of the planet as envisioned by  20th century Earthlings.  Other movies have used Mars as a backdrop—Gary Sinise’s Mission to Mars and Red Planet with Val Kilmer and Carrie Anne Moss both at least offered a good-looking landscape.  The more recent John Carter of Mars blended fantasy and sci-fi.  As with most John Carpenter movies, his Ghosts of Mars had a whole bunch of awesome, with a zombie/horror plot and great genre actors Jason Statham and Pam Grier.

The American/Irish made science fiction film Last Days on Mars, which premiered this year at Cannes, gets its UK release this weekend, with the U.S. release date yet unknown.   Directed by Ruairi Robinson and written by Clive Dawson, the trailer doesn’t give away a lot.  It could be another forgettable B-movie Mars flick, or it could be something better.

Check out this trailer for Last Days on Mars:

What is in its favor is a stellar cast.   It stars Liev Schreiber (The Sum of All Fears, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Manchurian Candidate), Romola Garai (The Hour, Emma), Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense, Dollhouse), Elias Koteas (Gattaca, Shooter, Zodiac), Johnny Harris (War Horse, Law & Order: UK), Goran Kostić (Taken, Sea of Souls), Tom Cullen (Downton Abbey) and Yusra Warsama (Stolen).

Will Last Days on Mars be a winner like Alien or Aliens, or is going to be painfully slow and cryptic like Moon or 2001: A Space Odyssey?  We’re anxious to find out.

C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg.com