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From kids’ cartoons to sci-fi movies to scary stories told around the campfire, Mars has been at the center of generations of speculation about life on other planets. And for years, scientists have been sending missions to Mars, to try to find out more about our neighboring planet—but around 2/3 of those missions have failed. The mysterious red planet managed to elude most of our attempts to search for more information—until recently.
The short, 40-minute Disney feature, Roving Mars, documents NASA’s recent attempt to search for signs of life on Mars. It tells the story of the two rovers—Spirit and Opportunity—that would eventually be launched to Mars separately, to increase the chances of one successful mission. Both of the rovers were built to act as robot geologists, to travel the surface of the planet and test the rocks for signs of water—or any other signs that life once existed on Mars.
The film shows the careful planning and the last-minute preparations that took place up until the launch—which took place when the planets were aligned just right, to ensure that the rovers would have enough fuel to last the seven-month, 300-million-mile journey. It follows the engineers in those dramatic moments when they waited for the signal that showed that the rovers had landed. And, finally, it shows the astonishing results of the mission.
If you’ve ever been the least bit interested in space exploration (if, for instance, your six-year-old self dreamed of one day becoming an astronomer, as I did), you’ll be awestruck by this film. While the DVD may not be quite as stunning as the film must have been when it was shown in IMAX theaters, it’s still absolutely breath-taking to see the detailed, high-quality images that the rovers sent back from Mars. It’s a great movie to watch with your kids—and it’s sure to spark all kinds of fascinating discussions.
While you’re watching, be sure to check out the bonus feature, Mars: Past, Present & Future, which also talks a bit about how the movie was made. As I watched the documentary, I couldn’t help but wonder how much was CGI and how much was real—and how accurate the animation really was. But the feature clears all that up. Also included on the DVD is Mars and Beyond, a 50-minute Disney feature from 1957 that discusses the history of astronomy (most of which is depicted through cartoons), as well as some facts about Mars and some ideas about what the future of space exploration may hold.
Sure, Roving Mars may be an educational documentary that will teach your kids a thing or two about space, but it’s such an amazing—and even inspiring—film that you’ll be every bit as engrossed as your kids. In fact, the wonder of it all is likely to make you feel like a kid all over again.
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