Mission to Mars

Houston, there are several problems with this soggy space opera. A manned mission to the Red Planet in 2020 is struck by catastrophe while a rescue crew (Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, Connie Neilsen and Jerry O’Connell) searching for its sole survivor (Don Cheadle) stumbles upon the origin of life on Earth. My inner child felt cheated that the film leapt from an astronaut barbecue to Mars without so much as a rocket launch and that the best special effect (a sandstorm nod to The Mummy) was unveiled in the first 20 minutes. This visually alluring mess also includes gobs of cheesy dialogue and a hokey-looking alien. Directed by Brian De Palma (Snake Eyes, Scarface).