BUENA VISTA HOME ENTERTAINMENT has released their first dvd encoded with the DOLBY DIGITAL "EX" system!  While "MISSION TO MARS" isn't a great film by any standard, it's certainly not nearly as bad as critics labeled it, and the "EX" along with the other benefits of the dvd presentation actually make this recommended!

It's hard to tell from the first 20 minutes what direction the film is taking, alternating between sappy melodrama and adventure, it's not until the first crew on Mars meets an untimely and "Big" effects-laden ending that our attention is finally directed towards the screen.

Because of the time delay between Mars and Earth, no one on earth knows the crew's fate, so a rescue mission is sent out.  Gary Sinise, Jerry O'Connell, and Connie Nielsen comprise the 2nd crew.  The film picks up its pace a great deal with the 2nd half, but it's never really "gripping" unless there's a big "special effects" sequence going on, and those are spaced out too far.  The film's conclusion also features the film's weakest effects.  Certain to anger as many viewers as it pleases, the film is a mixed bag, but we still enjoyed it in spite of its many flaws.

The transfer is nearly flawless! The 2.35:1 aspect ratio has been enhanced for 16:9 screens and the resolution is excellent!  There are no artifacts anywhere, fleshtones are perfectly natural and colors are extremely solid.  The transfer is also free of grain.

The dolby digital 5.1(EX) sound mix is demonstration quality!  Not only are all the speakers utilized fully throughout the soundtrack, the extra(EX) rear speaker channel is extremely effective in raising the bar of viewer engulfment during a few particular scenes.  The LFE effects are also guaranteed to shake up the room quite a bit!

While we wish Brian De Palma provided a commentary, the one offered with the cinematographer, special effects supervisor and production designer, is pretty interesting, if not thoroughly entertaining.  The entire commentary is devoted to exactly how certain effects were accomplished, visually and technically.  There is also a really good documentary further exploring the special effects, included is a look at effects that didn't make it into the finished film.
There is also an excellent supplement looking at animated storyboards, one of the most innovative ideas in recent filmmaking technology.