Mission to Mars
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/* Plot */
{{for|the Disney attraction|Mission to Mars (attraction)}} {{for|spacecraft missions to Mars|Exploration of Mars}}
{{Infobox_Film
| name = Mission to Mars
| image = mission_to_mars.jpg
| caption = Theatrical Poster
| director = [[Brian De Palma]]
| producer = Tom Jacobson
| writer = '''Story:'''<br />Lowell Cannon<br />[[Jim Thomas (screenwriter)|Jim Thomas]]<br />[[John Thomas (screenwriter)|John Thomas]]<br />'''Screenplay:'''<br />[[Jim Thomas (screenwriter)|Jim Thomas]]<br />[[John Thomas (screenwriter)|John Thomas]]<br />[[Graham Yost]]
| starring = [[Gary Sinise]]<br />[[Tim Robbins]]<br />[[Don Cheadle]]
| music = [[Ennio Morricone]]
| cinematography = [[Stephen H. Burum]]
| editing = [[Paul Hirsch (film editor)|Paul Hirsch]]
| distributor = [[Touchstone Pictures]] <br />[[Spyglass Entertainment]]<br />''(some markets)''
| released = [[March 10]], [[2000]]
| runtime = 114 min.
| language = [[English language|English]]
| budget = $100 million [[United States dollar|USD]]
| imdb_id = 0183523
}}
'''''Mission to Mars''''' is a [[2000]] science fiction [[film|movie]] directed by [[Brian de Palma]] about a rescue mission to [[Mars]] following a disaster during the first manned voyage to the planet.
==Plot==
[[Image:Mission to Mars screenshot2.JPG|thumb|left|[[Tim Robbins]] as Woody Blake and [[Gary Sinise]] as Jim McConnell.]]In the year [[2020]], a mission is launched whose goal is to carry humans to Mars for the first time. The mission's four crew members, upon arriving on the planet, discover a large mountain in their vicinity, with something sticking out of the rubble. After transmitting their find back to the command center on the World Space Station, they head for the site to try and learn more. When they arrive at the formation, they notice a strange sound, which they assume to be interference from their Mars Rover. While attempting to scan the formation with radar, a large vortex, similar to a [[dust storm]] forms around the structure. It envelopes and kills two of the mission's crew, whilst a third member is killed when a large rock breaks her visor, exposing her to the Martian atmosphere. After the vortex has passed, the camera zooms out to show a large humanoid [[Face on Mars|face]]. Only the mission's commander, Luke Graham (Don Cheadle), survives. The formation also emits an extremely powerful [[Electromagnetic pulse|EMP]], which irreparably damages much of the electronic equipment on the spacecraft. Despite the damage, Luke Graham manages to upload one transmission to the REMO (REsupply MOdule) orbiting Mars.
After receiving Commander Graham's garbled message relaying his crewmembers' deaths, the Earth command center hastily dispatches another Mars mission. The crew of this new mission includes Commander Woodrow "Woody" Blake (Tim Robbins); Co-Commander Jim McConnell (Gary Sinise); and mission specialists Terri Fisher (Connie Nielsen) and Phil Ohlmyer (Jerry O'Connell). The goal of the mission is to investigate the tragedy and bring back any survivors. As the ship is being prepared for its orbital insertion around the red planet, a swarm of [[Micrometeoroid|micrometeorites]] collides with the ship and compromises the ship's hull, causing an atmosphere leak. The crew works quickly to repair the hole, troubleshooting where the damage is located, and then using a liquid to help Woody apply the patch.
[[Image:MissionToMars screenshot.JPG|thumb|left|Woody and Terri dance in [[zero-G]].]]
Unbeknowst to the crew, the fuel tanks were also damaged, and when they ignite the main engines, the resulting fuel explosion destroys the ship. They quickly don pressure suits and abandon it, hoping to maneuver their way to the REMO. Circumstances are unfavorable, though, as the REMO is moving more quickly (in a slightly lower orbit) than the tethered astronauts. Woody concludes the only hope of a successful rendezvous with the REMO is for him to launch himself directly at it, using the remainder of his jet pack fuel, carrying a line from the others. He successfully attaches this to the REMO but is unable to stop himself as he does and floats helplessly away toward the planet. Terri, wanting to save him, decides to cut her line. Woody, not wanting Terri to be harmed, takes off his helmet and [[depressurizes]].
When the remaining crew arrive on the red planet, they find Luke, the captain of the first team, still alive. He tells the rescuers about his crew's find, and informs them that the formation found was the [[Face on Mars|"face"]]. He had spent the time alone attempting to learn the secrets of the mysterious structure. He shows the rescue team his most significant clue, a recording of the noise heard in the area of the formation. He had found, after several months of analysis, that the sound was a map of human [[DNA]], in [[Euler angles|XYZ coordinates]].
[[Image:MtM Martian.JPG|thumb|The Martian explains how life evolved on [[Earth]].]]
Together, they discover that the mysterious signals are actually a prompt, requiring input of one missing pair of chromosomes which would complete human [[DNA]]. The crew dispatches a robot to send the completed signal, at which time an opening appears in the side of the structure. Curious, they venture inside, and are soon sealed in, and discover Earth-like atmospheric conditions. They find a large dark room, and once they step inside, a three-dimensional projection of the solar system appears.
The trio see the planet Mars, when it was covered with water, being hit by a large asteroid. Shortly after, a tall, feminine humanoid -- a martian -- appears. It shows the group that the Martians evacuated their planet in spaceships. One ship stayed behind, and dispatched elementary life forms of their own to the nearby planet Earth, which at the time of the Martian evacuation, contained no life forms. Over the billions of years following this "seed-scattering" (see [[panspermia]]), these life forms eventually became the humans who would one day land on Mars and be recognized as descendants of that ancient Martian experiment. As the image of the Martian fades away, an invitation is offered for one of the astronauts to follow the Martians to one of their new home planets. Jim McConnell decides to go and after their farewells, the rest of the surviving crew head back to Earth. Jim arrives in a room which fills up with water. He then discovers that he can breathe in it. As the remaining astronauts are heading toward earth they watch in curiosity as Jim inside a Martian craft races away at speeds hundreds of times faster than their ship.
==Cast==
{| class="wikitable" width="50%"
! Actor !! Role
|-
| [[Gary Sinise]] || Jim McConnell
|-
| [[Tim Robbins]] || Woodrow "Woody" Blake
|-
| [[Jerry O'Connell]] || Phil Ohlmyer
|-
| [[Don Cheadle]] || Luke Graham
|-
| [[Kim Delaney]] || Maggie McConnell
|-
| [[Armin Mueller-Stahl]] || Ramier Beck ''(uncredited)''
|-
| [[Elise Neal]] || Debra Graham
|-
| [[Connie Nielsen]] || Terri Fisher
|-
| [[Marilyn Norry]] || Louise
|-
| [[Peter Outerbridge]] || Sergei Kirov
|-
| [[Kavan Smith]] || Nicholas Willis
|-
| Jill Teed || Reneé Coté
|}
==Box office==
* Opening weekend U.S. gross: $22,855,247
* U.S. box office gross: $60,883,407
* Non-domestic box office gross: $50,100,000
* Total Worldwide box office gross: $110,983,407<ref>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=missiontomars.htm Mission to Mars (2000)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Critical response==
The film received mostly negative reviews, earning a 24% approval rating from [[Rotten Tomatoes]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_to_mars/ | title=Mission to Mars | publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | accessdate=2007-08-06}}</ref>
==Awards and nominations==
[[2000]] [[Golden Raspberry Awards]] (Razzies)
* Nominated - Worst Director — Brian De Palma
==See also==
* [[Mission to Mars (attraction)]]
== References ==
<references/>
==External links==
* {{imdb title|id=0183523|title=Mission to Mars}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|id=mission_to_mars|title=Mission to Mars}}
* {{mojo title|id=missiontomars|title=Mission to Mars}}
{{Box Office Leaders USA
| before = ''[[The Next Best Thing]]''
| date = March 12
| year = 2000
| after = ''[[Erin Brockovich (film)|Erin Brockovich]]''
}}
{{Brian De Palma Films}}
[[Category:2000 films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:Drama films]]
[[Category:Films based on theme-park attractions]]
[[Category:Films directed by Brian De Palma]]
[[Category:Films shot anamorphically]]
[[Category:Mars in fiction]]
[[Category:Space adventure films]]
[[Category:Science fiction action films]]
[[Category:Touchstone Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Vancouver]]
[[de:Mission to Mars]]
[[es:Misión a Marte]]
[[fr:Mission to Mars (film)]]
[[it:Mission to Mars]]
[[ja:ミッション・トゥ・マーズ]]
[[nl:Mission to Mars]]
[[pl:Misja na Marsa]]
[[ru:Миссия на Марс (фильм)]]
[[sv:Mission to Mars]]
[[vi:Nhiệm vụ đến sao Hỏa]]
[[zh:火星任务]]