I’ve been a space geek for as long as my memory goes back. Space Ghost, Star Trek, Star Wars, Buck Rogers in the 21st Century, Battlestar Galactica … really, the list goes on of all the space-based shows I’ve loved. As a result, Buena Vista Home Entertainment’s decision to bring the Roving Mars IMAX film to DVD was a bit of a dream come true. That sounds cliche, I know, but it’s true. On this DVD, when the marketing blurb says “you’ll feel what it’s like to stand on the startling surface of [Mars],” it really does mean what it says. And I couldn’t be happier for that bit of honesty.
The surprisingly short main movie (40 minutes) documents the construction, liftoff and mission of NASA’s two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. The behind-the-scenes access to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory during this feature is remarkable, and in one of the bonus features, “Mars: Past, Present & Future,” it’s revealed that JPL’s engineers weren’t exactly enamored with the idea of big IMAX cameras swinging around their sensitive equipment. At first, anyway. Then they saw a special screening of the movie halfway through. After that, they realized just how special the documentary really was, and they opened their proverbial kimono.
So what’s so special? Aside from the all-access footage, which puts you in the virtual shoes of a JPL engineer, Roving Mars presents the most remarkable footage and renderings of Mars you can get without actually stepping foot on the Red Planet yourself. Using actual NASA data and photos, the movie re-creates the Martian landscape with such detail that it actually looks like a third party was on the Martian surface filming the rovers. For someone who’s used to seeing nice renderings in videogames, I was simply blown away by the detail and quality. Considering Disney was behind the DVD, it’s ironic to say this, but I have to: Pixar, eat your heart out.
The bonus features are few in number (two), but they’re rather worthwhile. The first, “Mars: Past, Present & Future,” describes not only the filmmaking process through interviews with the producer and director, but JPL scientists’ personal reflections of their careers and Mars. The second bonus feature, “Mars and Beyond,” is actually a remastered re-run of Walt Disney’s 1957 educational show about space exploration and Mars. I took a full year of Astronomy courses in college, and let me reassure you that if you’ve not had any such training, this Walt Disney feature will catch you up to speed with historical context surprisingly quickly.
Put all these aspects together, and you’ve got a fantastic DVD for space geeks and kids alike. For those of us who are geeks, the JPL footage and Martian renderings will leave you impressed, and the educational aspects of the main film and the Walt Disney feature will be quite educational for more-youthful viewers. The movie’s 5.1 audio is decent, but since the core of this movie is a documentary, it’s natural to expect the content to take priority over the multimedia. And that content, plain and simple, is a treat. If you have anyone in your household interested in space, Roving Mars should be tops on your list.
— Jonas Allen
