Movie and Film Profile: Roving Mars (2006)

Roving Mars premiered on January 26, 2006, at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Generally released in IMAX theaters on January 27, 2006. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures in association with White Mountain Films and The Kennedy/Marshall Company and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

DFME Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.00 out of 5 stars)

Caution: Possible Spoilers Ahead!

The film traces humanity’s long-standing curiosity about Mars and the scientific question of whether the planet once supported liquid water. Scientists and engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory designed two robotic rovers capable of surviving Mars’ extreme conditions while conducting geological research from millions of miles away.

The documentary follows the tense launch and interplanetary journey of Spirit and Opportunity, highlighting the complexity and risk of their Mars landings. After safely touching down, the rovers begin exploring the Martian surface, transmitting panoramic images and scientific data back to Earth. Using a blend of real rover photography and computer-generated imagery based on mission data, the film presents Mars’ landscapes and geological features in striking detail.

As the mission progresses, scientists analyze soil and rock formations that suggest Mars once had a wetter environment, reinforcing theories that the planet may have been capable of supporting life in the distant past.

A soundtrack album for Roving Mars was released by Lakeshore Records on June 27, 2006. The album also features the song “Glosoli” by Sigur Ros.

CAST & CREW

• Director: George Butler
• Producer(s): George Butler, Frank Marshall, Scott Swofford (Executive Producer), Tara Grace (Associate Producer)
• Writer(s): George Butler (Narration), Robert Andrus
• Cinematography: T.C. Christensen
• Editor: Nancy Baker
• Music: Philip Glass
• Cast: Paul Newman (Introduction), Steve Squyres, Rob Manning, Dr. Charles Elachi, Wayne Lee, Nagin Cox, John Beck Hofmann

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• MPAA Rating: G
• Runtime: 40 minutes
• Sound: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS
• Format: Color
• Aspect Ratio: 1.44:1
• Genre: Documentary (from movies.disney.com)

BOX OFFICE (from IMDb.com)

• Budget: $1,000,000 (estimated)
• Opening Weekend (U.S. & Canada): $412,337
• Gross (U.S. & Canada): $10,407,978
• Gross (Worldwide): $10,978,976

RATINGS

• My Rating: 3.00 (out of 5)
• Rotten Tomatoes: 70% (Tomatometer) | 77% (Popcornmeter)
• Metacritic: 58 (Metascore) | N/A (Popcornmeter)
• IMDb: 7.2 (out of 10)
• The Movie DB: 72% (User Score)
• Letterboxd: 3.4 (out of 5)
• Combined Rating: 68.14

MY THOUGHTS
Roving Mars is well worth your time if you enjoy documentaries and space exploration. The historical significance behind the launch of Spirit and Opportunity on NASA’s Mars rover mission is well worth 40 minutes of your time. amazing.

Have you seen Roving Mars? Share your thoughts in the comment section. 

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