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I went to this at the IMAX today and I found my 30 minute drive well worth the trouble. Although a short documentary, it is an extremely informative one.

Although there seems to be some license given to the sound of the film, it creates a stunning aura to the scenes both on Mars and in Space. The film is actually quite dramatic. Kids will find themselves staring saucer-eyed at the visuals as well as the soothing and informative narration given by an all too familiar voice that I cannot place.

I recommend this film and give it a high rating due to the fact that it has accomplished something I value most in Documentories- Making Learning fun. Watching children and adults alike leave the theater chatting animatedly about the "possibilities of life" in the universe made me beam happily through the rest of the museum.

I was fortunate enough to see the first public premier of this IMAX movie given to Lockheed-Martin Employees. The public reception was warm but not overwhelming. The images of Mars and the Rocket Launch were magnificent and the animated segments were indistinguishable from the filmed segments, very accurately using the photographs sent by the Rovers to create the landscapes. One note about a sequence that made many in the theater groan - THERE IS NO SOUND IN SPACE!!!!! Much of the movie consisted of often young enthusiastic engineers telling us how impossible the task was and (indirectly) how brilliant they must be. I do not belittle the accomplishment, it is awesome to be sure, but this standard Mantra we get with every film depicting a technological accomplishment is getting repetitious. On the other hand, I understand the wall NASA is up against every day to get and keep funding for these very important programs, so any salesmanship is forgiven. It is also, I suppose, important for the general layman to understand why these programs are so difficult to pull off so they can truly appreciate the success. I was impressed by the humor and humbleness that the engineers displayed in the face of test failures. This is an interesting, and at times, visually striking documentary, definitely worth seeing. Take the kids, they'll be wide eyed as the public gets its first truly satisfying look at the red planet.

Short documentary, and just good enough to keep the attention of young viewers... great action sequences and as mentioned, the animation from live footage is nearly indistinguishable... the NASA experience shared here both in actual footage and staff interviews makes for great enjoyment for any space buff... well worth seeing as an IMAX candidate! I suppose the only drawback is no green men or any Hollywood fantasies here, you have to actually use your mind to imagine the possibilities of what's out there, given the tidbits of evidence about water and rock material collected from the mission... should be enough for any mortal man, but don't go in expecting to see Tom Cruise battle any aliens. :)

This incredible, true science story was made and released on Imax, but I saw it on DVD. It is straightforward and, while interesting, it has limited entertainment value for those with little interest in the Mars Rover project. It is short and I felt that more could have been included and an effort could have been made to use more of a 'storytelling' approach. As well, writer/director/narrator George Butler could have used celebrities or strong personalities among the mission team, to create more interest. his choice, however, was to create a simple documentary, which is fine for space race fans, but of limited interest to others.

The feature tells the story of NASA's Mars Rover mission, which saw the construction of two incredibly complex robotic vehicles (The total technology involved in the rovers exceeds the brain capacity of any one person - best useless fact of the film) named 'Spirit' and 'Opportunity' and sent them to the surface of Mars, where they landed successfully in the summer of 2003. There is extensive footage of the surface of Mars, where both carefully accurate CGI and actual Rover footage, is used to give the viewer a nice visit to another world. Amazingly, the planned mission of 90 days has now gone on for over four years and continues to this day. They don't tell you that in the film. I became curious and looked it up for you guys.

This documentary is an excellent choice for educators and for those with an interest in the space program. Many others, who are less academically curious will not enjoy it and should steer clear. If it is your cup of tea, then check out the special features, as well. They share a lot more interesting information.

This work was first posted on realmoviereview.com

I saw this at an Imax in LA last week - I'm still in awe. Maybe the previous commenter was a rocket scientist himself, but for me, the hurdles these people had to accomplish in the time they did, and the unbelievable success they had is something that made me proud to be an American when I left the theater. The visual aspects of the film left me holding my breath at times. And the story - it was the same story we've all seen 100 times - a small group of people working together to achieve the impossible. Only this time, the story is true, the people are real and the goal is the advancement of humanity. Something we can all be proud of in a time when there are not that many things that we should be proud of. Take everyone you can drag with you - there isn't anyone who won't be moved by the vistas of a distant planet sent here by a couple tiny robots built by a small group of men and women from the planet Earth who had a dream. Why a 9 instead of a 10? It ended too soon.

Well designed documentary on two Mars rovers (Spirit and Opportunity.)

We get just enough information and visuals to feel that we are there and part of the project. We are informed of the purpose. The crew looks tad polyandry.

Unlike movies that should concentrate on the storyline with visuals coming in as a secondary attribute, these documentary benefits from the Blu-ray treatment. One plus is the narration by Paul Newman.

This presentation may be a bit dated but the planet has not changed that much.

I am amazed at how crip the pictures are. Maybe it is these now fangles high rez T. V.s

Do not forget to look at the extras on the DVD.

this documentary about the mars Rovers mission to Mara is very interesting and well done.we learn just what it takes to build these machines and then how much is involved in making sure they are not going to malfunction while in space or once they are on the planet.the animation sequences are very well done.the only drawback for m,is that the film is too short,at just under 40 minutes.otherwise,this a really engaging documentary.one thing that struck me though was that the scientists all believe there will be manned mission to Mars in the foreseeable future.i think that is being overly optimistic.anyway,for me Roving mars is an 8/10

This had the _opportunity_ to be a great documentary. It started with less of the crappy motivational speeches and some bits of actual science. They showed the construction phases of the two rovers that went on Mars and the animations were great.

I expected this to turn into a detailed log of the travels of the two rovers and the emotions involved and the science and engineering decisions that were made. But the film ended abruptly, after only 38 minutes. The rovers landed and finished their mission in less than 10 minutes of film time.

What was a great concept and a refreshing presentation style ended up in mediocrity. And what was Paul Newman doing narrating the beginning of the film? God, he sounded old.

I do love these IMAX movies. It's very nice to see films that are EDITED properly and it's a real joy to see EDITING like this. This one has music that seems to be identical to Fog of War! It's good music though.

THE BAD: for something that is meant to be 100% real...why have they put sound on the outer space stuff? THE GOOD: There's never a dull moment in this documentary. It's really fascinating seeing how the rover unfolds itself and moves around the terrain. Plus the elaborate way in which they got it onto the martian surface in the first place! These films have a way of brightening up your day because they are so positive and exciting. You leave the film feeling good...and that HAS to be a good thing.

Through the eyes of two robots, the latest generation rovers, and with NASA scientists by your side, you'll see Mars, our neighbours, in a way no one has ever seen them before, directly from the surface of the incredible red planet. Two unmanned vehicles - Spirit and Opportunity, the Mars Rovers - transmit images from the planet Mars. Through the eyes of two state-of-the-art rovers, and with NASA scientists at your side, you'll see Mars in a way no one ever has before-direct from the surface of the amazing red planet.

How cute, they talk about the little robots, Rovers, as if they were children, preparing the little animals to face the world beyond the galaxy... That were "abandoned" to God-will give it on Mars, delicious soundtrack, beautiful images, full of information, great documentary...

Walt Disney Pictures produced the film I watched. In it, there is no Paul Newman introduction. And my impression is that there are multiple versions of this documentary.

At about forty minutes in length, the film gives a cursory, but highly interesting, overview of the Mars twin rovers. Interviews with NASA scientists and engineers, plus actual footage of the robots being made, comprise the first half. The narrator stresses the complexity of the technical work that went into the creation of Spirit and Opportunity.

But the best segment is near the middle, when superb animated effects help viewers visualize the various stages of the rover-in-tow spacecraft's seven-month journey to Mars, and especially the critical landing phase that carried the rovers safely to the surface, which involved split second timing and flawless execution.

Later, we get a quick look at the geologic work the rovers perform. And the panoramic views of the desolate plains of Mars are spectacular.

I just wish the film had been longer, and that we could have seen more images of Mars. One gets the feeling that for some reason the film was cut short, maybe because of budget constraints. The sheer quantity of data that Spirit and Opportunity have relayed back to us is amazing. And this wonderful scientific achievement merits a film of at least two, and preferably three, hours.

Even though it's brief and to some extent aimed at kids, "Roving Mars" still makes for worthwhile viewing by adults. Maybe eventually we'll get a documentary that does Spirit and Opportunity justice.