I’m wrapping up MARS WEEK with this science fiction scary story, The Last Days on Mars. Liev Schreiber is part of a Mars expedition that’s about to rotate back to Earth. One of the team ignores orders and goes out of the dome to check samples before a massive Mars sandstorm hits. Of course, things go terribly wrong. The astronaut gets inflected by Mars bacteria that turns him into a murderous monster. Other members of the team make boneheaded decisions and–oops, they’re infected, too! More monsters than astronauts is the scary result. Liev Schreiber and his girl friend take one of the Mars vehicles and head for the rendezvous point with the replacement team that’s about to land. You can guess how that turned out. The Last Days on Mars holds few surprises, but I enjoyed Live Schreiber’s performance and the scenes of the Red Planet alive with ghouls. Hope you enjoyed MARS WEEK! Things come back to Earth tomorrow. GRADE: B
Rotten Tomatoes reports that 16% of 43 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review, and the average rating was 4.7/10; the site’s consensus is: “Neither intelligent enough to work as thought-provoking sci-fi nor trashy enough to provide B-movie thrills, The Last Days on Mars proves as cinematically barren as the titular planet.”
They might have done better had they called it Zombies on Mars!
Jeff, I like “cinematically barren as the titular planet.”
Mars Week is over? Oh, and I was so looking forward to your review of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus!
I’ve enjoyed your “theme week” these last seven days. Perhaps you’ll consider doing another one at some point in the future.
Deb, I’m glad you enjoyed MARS WEEK. I’m thinking about doing a TIME TRAVEL week next summer. There was a spoof book of MEN AR FROM MARS titled WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS, MEN ARE FROM HELL.
Or, as one of my witty friends put it, “Men are from Mars, huh? Well, Martian go home!”
Deb, I hadn’t heard that one before! Are you looking forward to SHARK WEEK on THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL? I am!
I enjoyed Mars Week. Great idea and execution!