The Martian Chronicles

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good...
Review: ...except for some ropy acting from the smaller parts (the leads are fine) and some dubious special effects. The spaceships and sandships are so obviously toy models you are sniggering when you shouldn't be. The pace is slow by today's standards, which I liked, although admittedly it almost feels as if it's on freeze-frame by the end. Loved the 80s style film music, which is used well and sparingly at that. Best of all are the imaginatively designed sets and the dreamy atmosphere, which are terrific, as are the golden eyed Martians.

There are 3 episodes, the first being the best, simply because this is where the story is at its most interesting and intriguing. Episodes 2 and 3 are more uneven, but mostly enjoyable.

I am sure fans of the original Star Trek series from the sixties will appreciate this, as will those who liked it on its first T.V airing back in 1980. Its aged remarkably well and I enjoyed it immensely on my second viewing, 24 years after my first
.


Rating:
Summary: Awful!
Review: As a reader who appreciates Bradbury stories, I was severely disappaointed in this "adaptation". Awful acting, awful sets, awful directing, and awful awful, awful adaptation that does not come close doing any part of the original story justice.

It's not even the good kind kind of awful where you can laugh at the awfulness (like Plan 9). I found the expansion of Rock Hudson's role irritating and distracting. As many readers have noted, it is dog slow. During the Father S and P segment, I actually fast forwarded through 15 minutes of plodding dialog.


My prayer is that all copies of this awful movie will vanish like a dying Martian civilization.

Rating:
Summary: Dated but still a classic
Review: Bradbury's epic came to life with this miniseries which is of course now dated (especially the special effects, which were only tv quality anyway) but it's still a must-see for fans of classic sci-fi and a new generation of Bradbury readers.

Rating:
Summary: ** Not for Star Wars Fans! **
Review: I am a classic Ray Bradbury Sci-Fi enthusiast. The way that man can explain the way a cool Martian breeze smells just does something to me! Bradbury transports me there ... and this mini-series, while very dated, is classic Bradbury. If you like the old Sci-Fi stuff and are a Ray Bradbury fan, then enjoy. You will love it. If you want to see light sabers or warp drive, then don't even go there.

Rating:
Summary: Leisure suits of the future. Rock Hudson. Camp galore
Review: Rock Hudson. Futuristic wear that looks like bad leisure suits. These are two of the warning signs that "The Martian Chronicles" might not live up to its potential. Although it wasn't intended to be a camp classic full of stilted dialogue, inane acting and plain stupid moments, "The Martian Chronicles" is precisely that at times.

British producers Charles Fries and Milton Subtosky ("The House That Dripped Blood", "Asylum") made a solid attempt to adapt Bradbury's novel for the small screen. Working with a strict budget, a limited roster of actors and a poor excuse for an optical effects house prevented this project from achieving everything it could have.

Somehow a talented writer (Richard Matheson) and an average director (Michael Anderson who directed "Logan's Run")managed to turn Ray Bradbury's classic novel into a run down bargain basement version of an epic. Bradbury himself complained about how the film made his book "boring". Richard Matheson stated that he felt his screenplay was ruined by inept execution. Maybe. That being said, "The Martian Chronicles" does have its moments but is seriously flawed. Many people (including this reviewer when he was younger)liked parts of this mini-series. Surprisingly, those few strong moments still have resonance chiefly because of the source material and an occasional performance worth noting that brings the essence of Bradbury's novel to life.

On DVD the mini-series is broken down into its original three part presentation running at just under 5 hours. Perhaps its the leisurely pace or the fact that the program was build around commerical breaks. Either way, there are times that this film is like the Energizer Bunny on downers--it keeps going on and on and on and on....ad nausem. The first two hours has the best material from it.

The performances range from exceptional to exceptionally bad. Rock Hudson plays Col Wilder who sits in a chair that looks like a reject from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and watches as Mission Control puts two ships over two years in harm's way by sending them to a Mars populated by aliens that have telepathy and the ability to project whatever anyone wants to see. The first hour of this epic wobbles along but is still sturdy enough to have power. When the first expedition's astronauts are murdered by a jealous Martian husband, a second is send. When they land it appears they're on Earth twenty years in the past. The commander (Nicholas Hammond in a smart, nicely textured performance) suspects something is rotten on Mars but gets sucked into the illusion when he sees deceased loved ones from his past. This single segment is the most succesful and Anderson's direction gives it added power with his careful use of optical effects to only enhance what is necessary. Matheson's idea of using the character of Wilder to unite the whole series is a great idea--unfortunately Rock Hudson just doesn't deliver. It seems as if his performance was done under the influence of sedatives at times.


The second successful sequence also in the first part involves Col. Wilder and a third crew (Bernie Casey and Darren McGavin among them)who go to Mars to discover the fate of the previous crews. When Casey's character discovers the havoc that humanity has wrecked on the Martian civilization he goes native attempting to kill his crew members. Again, the opticals are sparingly used and the acting carries the day for the most part. Casey gives a solid performance.

The amateurish opticals (this was done in 1980 and they looked like they were done in 1950)done by a special effects studio in the UK undoes some of the more involved sequences set on the Red Planet. For example, there are sequences where you can literally see through the ships. In others, they're photographed so it's very clear they are miniatures. The production design, though, is outstanding and the location photography (it was shot in Malta and on sound stages in England) along with some strong performances from Fritz Weaver, Roddy McDowall, Maria Schell and others allow the awkward episodes to be pretty easily forgotten. My favorite of the latter part of the series involves a story about the return of a son who was killed years before. His mysterious reappearence doesn't spook the family. Instead, they welcome this stranger that looks, talks and acts like their son even though they know it couldn't possible be him.

This two disc DVD has no extras although it does include the teasers for the next episode at the very end of each disc. The full screen presentation looks solid although there's noticeable compression problems (or, perhaps, its related to the film stock that was chosen to shoot the mini-series). Analog blemishes (i.e., hair, dirt, etc.)are few and far between. Although it's not a perfect presentation (the picture lacks sharpness and the detail isn't what it should be), it's better than most shows from the same time frame. If you enjoyed the original series be prepared for a shock. "The Martian Chronicles" doesn't hold up all that well twenty-four years later but there are fleeting moments that hint at the missed potential of this "television event". Hopefully, someday, someone will actually tackle Bradbury's metaphorical tale the way it should be done. In the meantime, if you long to revisit your television past, one could do a lot worse than "The Martian Chronicles".

Rating:
Summary: Seriously Retro
Review: Seriously Retro!

I've a soft spot for this one, having watched it the first time around in 1980 (which is when it reached the UK). No doubt that it's the power of Ray Bradbury's original stories that carries it.

In a sense, you've got to switch off your brain to enjoy this. Or perhaps I should say you should switch of your Left Brain: the logical, analytical part. For example, we all know now that people can't breathe on the surface of Mars without space suits. Let it go! If you can't do that then don't bother with this DVD. Switch on your Right Brain (imagination) and you've a chance of enjoying this... just a chance though!

First, let's get the bad stuff out of the way. The special effects are bad. I know that they didn't have CGI etc then, but this was 2 years after Star Wars, or in a TV sense, a year after Battlestar Galactica. I'd have expected a major US network to have at least bettered Dr Who or Blake's 7 standards; but they didn't.

The pace is very slow. Sometimes that lets the stories unfold at a natural pace, but a lot of the time, you're tapping your fingers, thinking "get on with it!". In this regard, Bradbury was scathing in his comments at the time: "it's boring, they've made it boring", he said. And he had no doubt where the blame lay, saying that Michael Anderson had directed it "underwater". He wasn't wrong.

And often, the acting doesn't help. Rock Hudson has never been the most exciting actor in the world, and he's particularly dull here. Sure, he does integrity and trustworthiness just fine, but there were times that I felt his character needed a little more fire in his belly and Hudson doesn't provide it. The rest of the cast is variable, to put it mildy. At one end, Bernie Casey is just fine as Spender, and Nicholas Hammond, best remembered as a rather plastic 70s Spiderman, is equally good as the leader of the second expedition. At the other end, Roddy McDowell is just plain irritating as Father Stone.

Now the good stuff!

The sets are great, and the Martians themselves are wonderfully "other wordly", helped by the fact that they are used sparingly.

Plotwise, there's some good changes been made. I know that people here have referred to Bradbury's work as a "novel" but it's not: it's actually a collection of loosely connected short stories. Screen writer Richard Matheson sensibly drops some of the more unworkable original stories, such as "Way Up In The Middle Of The Air" (negroes in the American South climb into a spaceship to escape their white oppressors) and also the original second expedition story, where the earthlings' "first contact" is with a Martian lunatic asylum!.

His masterstroke is to unify the work by beefing up the role of Colonel John Wilder (Hudson) so that he appears in nearly all the stories. (In Bradbury's book, Wilder appeared in only two of them). In one story, this change actually manages to improve on the original. I refer to the story (spoiler ahead!) of the Martian who changes shape, according to the wants and desires of the human person that's nearest to him. In the mini series, the Martian ends by changing back to his actual form, because he bumps into Wilder (not in this story in Bradbury's book). Wilder is the only person on Mars that actually wants to meet a real, live Martian.

A sentimental 4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Hudson Rocks Martians on DVD
Review: The 1980 television adaption of Ray Bradbury's book, The Martian Chronicles, spanning 293 minutes, in three parts, The Expeditions, The Settlers, and The Martians, stars film great, Rock Hudson, Darren McGavin(The Night Stalker), Bernie Casey(The Gargoyles, Revenge of the Nerds), Roddy McDowall(Planet of the Apes) and Fritz Weaver(Marathon Man, Tales from the Darkside), to name a few. The mini-series attempts to encapsulate the saga of Bradbury's jaunt to Mars and how Earth people would greet Martians upon first contact and visa versa. The British(Fries Entertainment) production lacked in impressive special effects compared to theatrical releases of the time(Star Wars, Logan's Run), but made effective use of makeup and contact lenses for the Martians, as well as an other-worldly, spiritually soothing soundtrack for the title's name-sake, although much of the music sounds dated by today's standards. MGM's 2 disc set seems to be devoid of any extras, similarly to MGM's recent and slightly disappointing DVD release of the apocalyptic tele-movie, The Day After(1983-Jason Robards;The UK version of The Day After has a running commentary track with director, Nicholas Meyers), but hopefully will maintain the color and crispness of the VHS three-tape set(Fries Classic Collection), not to be mistaken by other incarnations recorded at EP, and should actually be improved upon with the DVD format. The Martian Chronicles is slated to be released on DVD in its original mono soundtrack with English, French and Spanish subtitles. Despite any extra material, MGM, however, has thankfully authored this film to DVD for posterity, and I look forward to adding it to my collection.

Rating:
Summary: Damn good, despite itself.
Review: The first thing to note before viewing this DVD, the special effects are just plain awful... but fortunately are restrained after the first episode. This is one series that would benefit greatly from some CGI re-rendering a la "Star Wars". I think it could be done easily.

The second thing to note... the script is not entirely the book it's taken from. It cuts and embellishes here and there, but many chapters from the book that are removed are sort of hinted at. Unfortunately, the movie is long and can drag for some people.

On to the good stuff... the movie really survives beside itself mainly due to the performances. Bernie Casey is outstanding as Spender... he shows a real love for the dialogue. Also, Barry Morse (of Space 1999) really makes you feel for his character of Hathaway. Rock Hudson, is Rock Hudson ('nuf said).

The production design stands up to today, the artistic work on the Martian cities and artifacts benefits the production, especially in the martian home sequence (along with the delectable Maggie Wright). The makeup effects and costuming are quite good (except for the leisure suits). The score is elegantly done by Stanley Myers, but at times shows too much emphasis on electronics bordering on disco.

Overall, the series is for fans of the book or 70's sci-fi in general. I would have liked to have seen a behind-the-scenes featurette and some extras.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: The story line and special effects are very good for the time.
This movie has to be viewed outside of the box. All the visual effects can not be compared to movies like Star Wars. After all this book was writen back in the 50's.

Great movie, right up there with "War of the Worlds" and "The Time Machine"


Rating:
Summary: More fiction than science, but watchable
Review: The way the story is told reminds me of a solar version of `how the American continent was discovered'.

First mission. Killed by jealous companion (Martian).
Second mission. Killed by common interest group (also Martian).
Third Mission: Almost all killed by crewmember (human), but who perishes in the process.
Martians: Said to be killed by earthly virus.
With indigenous people gone, first settlers arrive and form communities. In the course of the second part we learn that Martians haven't really vanished but merely retreated into another dimension. Then everyone flocks back to Earth because nuclear war is imminent. The few remaining people left become the last frontier of Humanity (third part).

The absence of science didn't really bother me. You would find the air on Mars rather thin indeed (if you trust NASA data that is), but the thin air scenario is a better solution movie-wise than having everyone camouflaged by a pressure suit and helmet.

What I found hilarious though is that no sooner that war appears to be imminent on Earth, the bulk of the settlers decide to go back. Why on earth would anyone want to be on Earth if there was a distinct possibility of a global nuclear war? I would rather prefer to stay on Mars.

My favourite quote is: "Our scientists have made it perfectly clear that there is too much oxygen in the third planets' atmosphere to support life." Someone had to make a statement of this nature.

The third part is a bit too slow for my taste with little action strung together by Rock Hudson. And the movie does fizzle out, although this comes almost natural given the absence of Earth and the few `humans' left on the planet.

If you don't mind the scientific shortcomings and the slow third part, then the Martian Chronicles are worthwhile your time.