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.
