The Last Days on Mars

THE LAST DAYS ON MARS is a surprisingly well-made film about things we've already seen before. And that's the charm that makes it worth watching. To begin with, the film is brisk (1 1/2 hours) and doesn't waste much time in telling its story. Even the few moments of quiet contemplation of life/death don't overstay their welcome. The characters don't make stupid decisions, but they do make them with little motivation.

The film is essentially a cross between 28 DAYS LATER and THE THING, but the film is aware of its influences and doesn't try to reinvent the wheel. If anything, it strips them down to the foundation and goes with a simple explanation that feels more believable than 28 DAYS LATER. The film takes the technology seriously without turning it into a spectacle. It kind of reminds me of RED PLANET in that sense, but it doesn't depend on CGI spectacle to lend undeserved importance. The film very simply suggests that the characters be taken as real people who are reacting to the situation in front of them, just on a different planet where the rules of survival are equally alien.

TLDOM is worth watching because of the skill and confidence of the people making it. Perhaps the only thing holding it back from the attention it deserves is that in spite of that skill, it doesn't have anything different to say.

First of all its a low budget Sci Fi but its very well done for its budget.

The premise is there is a team of scientists on Mars carrying out research until they make a discovery that will jeopardise their mission with just a few days left till they return home.

The tension and feeling of the crew going a bit stir crazy is very well done in this film. They also capture the moments of having to make choices very well and this is what drives the film.

Its not the greatest film I have seen but for what it is, its pretty decent. Don't expect loads of action e.t.c as the film is based on tension and mental anguish.

The SFX is actually really good as well as the sets and the backdrops, it does everything that is required to make it realistic enough to enjoy .

I give it a 7 out of 10 and well made effort. xx

When watching the trailer I couldn't help but feel intrigued. Although it gave you a basic idea of what the film was about (the title is a massive clue), it didn't give any sign of the problem that would occur. I liked that, normally it is just standard procedure for a newly released movie to throw its cards on the table and show the inquisitive audience what to expect. "The Last Days on Mars" doesn't exactly follow in that tradition and leaves you guessing up until the moment the horror is realised.

Although location and purpose is completely different i couldn't help but associate it with "Sunshine"; of course with a less stellar cast. Just the crew falling apart, and mentality being tested in such environments. Not to take anything away from this, it does have its own display of originality, the location (mostly Jordan) was simplistic but effective; not needing Transformers to take away from the scenery. I thought Liev Schreiber played his part well, he gets a lot of flack, but he produces a solid display of acting. Everyone else just did their job; no-one really stood out.

Now although I enjoyed this film, there where several things that bugged me. Acting left a lot to be desired. The little flashback back-story was very, very anti climatic. Some of the characters where in need of a slap and the story lacked certitude.

If this is the best and brightest Earth has to sent into space we need to defend NASA. If this is how people act after 6 months in isolation we need to train crews better. They argued, made stupid decisions, and disobeyed orders just like normal people, not people who have trained their entire lives for space travel.

I liked it!!! I didn't love it, but I liked it!!! A great sci-fi horror movie. That's all I expected from it and I liked it. One thing, though and this may be a spoiler of sorts so consider yourself warned. All the dialogue that was at the beginning left me wishing that the whole movie could have been like that, not fall to the usual horror genre. The beginning was very intelligent and entertaining. The actors were very good together! The back and fourth worked. Too bad it had to fall to the monster movie thrill pack it ended up being although I liked the ending. Yes, I got what I expected and I liked it. It's just...it had the potential to be so much more.