This movie tells of the first manned mission to Mars as the title implies. Spirits are high as the first team lands on Mars. However, something mysteriously happens to them, and all communications with them are lost save a final distress call from the team leader Luke Graham (Don Cheadle). Immediately a second team led by Woody Blake (Tim Robbins) and Jim McConnell (Gary Sinise) is sent to Mars on a rescue mission.

The first in many upcoming movies about the planet Mars, Mission To Mars comes off as a rather mediocre effort. A lack-lustre script leaves one with a unsatisfied feeling. That's how I felt. Even though the cast consisted of veterans such as Tim Robbins and Gary Sinise, there's only so much a good actor can do with cheesy lines.

Merit must however be given to the atmosphere set by the movie. The special effects used to convey the vastness of space and the planet Mars are wonderfully rendered. There is one scene where the astronauts navigate in space above Mars. The way the scene is filmed, you feel what it's like to float a few thousand kilometers above a planet. And some parts of the movie have a very similar feel to Stanley Kubrick's 2001:A Space Odyssey. If you have watched this movie, you will know I mean.

The final say? An atmospheric movie with great effects that's marred by a poor script. Watch it for the effects but don't expect much in the story department.