Approaching the Unknown (2016)

As Good As It Gets

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The whole idea of this movie is very interesting, the psychological effects of being the first human being that goes to Mars.However, 7 points are taken from Slytherin because this movie gave me the constant feeling that something lacked. Be it realistic communication with Earth, or the way the portrait space missions in the movie's version of the ISS or the fact that they send the main character on a mission to Mars, with 1 self-developed machine that has been tested apparently once (?), at least, it's not working very early in the movie and there seems to be no communication about this or any help from Earth, or any back-up etc etc. Whatever version of NASA this is, they would never-ever let this happen. Furthermore, they would not send two guys from the street to control the ISS, while their mental health is obviously in a terrible state.I mean, Earth-bound colleague Skinny (who also wants to go to Mars) is sitting in his office and seems to be Skyping casually, exclusively and in real-time, with the astronaut about all topics that concern this mission, there is no ground control or a command center as far as we can see. Basically, Skinny is all of those and calls every now and then to help in absolutely no way at all. Said astronaut is the first human being going to Mars, you cannot convince me this is how communications and aid from Earth would look like. They might as well have given him a cyanide pill and save him, and us for that matter, the trouble. The way this movie portrait a possible first mission to Mars is impossibly unrealistic and gives a cheap set-up for the development of the story-line. I would also argue that it takes a dump on the immensely well-developed and elaborate training programs and professionalism of any serious space organisation. I would not recommend, even though its somewhat entertaining at times.

This movie probably gives an accurate account of sending the first human being to Mars. It wont be spectacular. It will however be one long suicide attempt. Nobody has the right to exploit that person. Better shut the camera's down. Mankind will only be able to cope with that journey on a poetic and psychological level. The first missions will be far from actually living on Mars. So much has to be established first.

Awful, poorly constructed snooze-fest. I like sci-fi, but this was just horrible. Honestly, Netflix, you put any rubbish online. Buffer out your library to make it look larger you evil pigs. Please don't waste your time folks, it drags on and on and gets you nowhere. The mistake I made was so bad I had to write a review. Maybe help some other poor unsuspecting soul with a couple of hours to kill. Don't kill it on this!!!!

You probably have already seen in other sci-fi movies with great plots which astronauts are headed to Mars, however that's not what's going to happen here. Probably director's intention was to let us know how boring a journey like this might be and no doubt its goal has been achieved.