# Why do films about Mars flop so badly? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2015, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378 "2015-07-28T10:21:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/1 "2015-07-28T10:21:42Z")
There’s a new Matt Damon film which has come out about his character being stranded on Mars for around a year. I hope it does well because it’s actually based on real science and an actual good book, but I worry though, films with Mars as the basis of the story don’t do well, but why is that? It seems like films about Mars are where directors go to die, what gives? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/2 "2015-07-28T10:29:21Z")
Correlation, not causation. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/3 "2015-07-28T11:35:05Z")
Because so many of them suck. I think (unsupported assertions incoming) that part of the problem is that Mars is a real place, and we have expectations about it. Mostly that it looks like the American southwest without cacti or road runners. A fictional planet can be made to look and act however the film maker wishes. I have been enjoying the recent few good “realistic” space films, like Europa Report, Gravity or Interstellar. But our “Mars” movies keep going back to the “Rocket to Spaaaaccccceeee!!!” stories just like they made in the 1950s. The story is almost always about a near-future expedition and the problems they face. The conflicts are caused either by mechanical failure or social failure among the crew, and it is very hard to make a compelling new story from either making repairs or showing that the personality screening was faulty. When the storytellers can get past the exploration tropes I think they will make better Mars movies. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/4 "2015-07-28T11:45:52Z")
Because Mars is a really boring place. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/5 "2015-07-28T11:46:57Z")
I agree-so many photos from the mars landers have been shown, that people know the place looks like a sand and gravel pit. No abandoned cities, canals, or lost civilizations-just a dry, cold dead world. Not much to base an adventure movie on. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/6 "2015-07-28T11:54:46Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Because Mars is a really boring place. And it ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/7 "2015-07-28T11:57:56Z")
I’ll agree that films set on Mars generally seem to do badly, but it ain’t always so. Byron Haskins’ 1964 _Robinson Crusoe on Mars_ did pretty well whgen it came out, is still critically acclaimed, and has been released on a Criterion DVD. Other films get compared to it – _Enemy Mine_ was, and I have no doubt that Ridley Scott’s upcoming version of _[The Martian_ will, too (they cover some of the same ground). [io]John Carter\* deserved to do better – it was a heckuva film. But it got caught in the dynastic wars at Disney, and got shabbily promoted. (Very few ads. And – tell the truth – did you ever see a single John Carter toy, activity book, or the like? Isn’t that odd, for a _Disney_ film, especially? Heck, I saw plenty of plastic toy Giant Insects from _Starship Troopers_, and kids weren’t even supposed to be able to get into that film.) I thought _Mars Needs Moms_ was great, too. I couldn’t tell you what happened with that one. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/8 "2015-07-28T12:20:56Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I thought _Mars Needs Moms_ was great, too. I couldn’t tell you what happened with that one. We just watched that a week or two ago. It was tolerable. Doesn’t seem to have made the Firebug’s greatest-hits list either. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/9 "2015-07-28T12:27:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Mars is a real place, and we have expectations about it. Mostly that it looks like the American southwest without cacti or road runners. A fictional planet can be made to look and act however the film maker wishes. They split the difference with TOTAL RECALL. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/10 "2015-07-28T12:32:10Z")
Why do you think it’s called the Red Planet? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/11 "2015-07-28T12:41:21Z")
Because we’d rather see movies about things coming from Mars, not us going there. Tom Cruise notwithstanding. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/12 "2015-07-28T13:02:44Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I thought _Mars Needs Moms_ was great, too. I couldn’t tell you what happened with that one. Meh. Totally derivative of _Santa Claus Conquers the Martians_. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/13 "2015-07-28T13:08:30Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > And it ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids. In fact it’s cold as hell. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/14 "2015-07-28T13:14:27Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Why do you think it’s called the Red Planet? Glorious USSR survives on exoplanets ! Arise, workers of Solar system ! ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/15 "2015-07-28T13:25:13Z")
“Capricorn One” and “Mars Attacks!” are classics. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/16 "2015-07-28T13:29:08Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Glorious USSR survives on exoplanets ! Arise, workers of Solar system ! You guys aren’t the first to makje the connection Mars = Red Planet = communists. Have a look at the Soviet film _Aelita, Queen of Mars_ from 1924: > **[Aelita](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aelita)** > > Aelita (Russian: Аэли́та, .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}pronounced \[ɐɛˈlʲitə\]), also known as Aelita: Queen of Mars, is a 1924 Soviet silent science fiction film directed by Yakov Protazanov and produced at the Mezhrabpom-Rus film studio. It was based on Alexei Tolstoy's 1923 novel of the same name. Nikolai Tseretelli and Valenti... or 1951’s _Flight to Mars_ > **[Flight to Mars (film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_to_Mars_(film))** > > Flight to Mars is a 1951 American Cinecolor science fiction film drama, produced by Walter Mirisch for Monogram Pictures, directed by Lesley Selander, that stars Marguerite Chapman, Cameron Mitchell, and Arthur Franz. > The film's storyline involves the arrival on the Red Planet of an American scientific expedition team, who discover that Mars is inhabited by an underground-dwelling but dying civilization that appears to be humanoid. The Martians are suspicious of the Earthmen's motives. A majorit... or Red Planet Mars (1952) > **[Red Planet Mars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Planet_Mars)** > > Red Planet Mars is a 1952 American science fiction film released by United Artists starring Peter Graves and Andrea King. It is based on a 1932 play Red Planet written by John L. Balderston and John Hoare and was directed by art director Harry Horner in his directorial debut. > An American astronomer obtains images of Mars suggesting large-scale environmental changes are occurring at a pace that can only be accomplished by intelligent beings with advanced technology. Scientist Chris Cronyn (Pete... There’s some sort of connection to the communist USSR in each case. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/17 "2015-07-28T13:29:12Z")
A one few years ago when everyone said “Pirate movies always flop.” Then along came **Pirates of the Caribbean**. It’s just been a bad run of films about Mars, and that could be turned around with one big hit. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/18 "2015-07-28T13:58:50Z")
As a teenager, I saw [The Martian Chronicles](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080242/?ref_=rvi_tt) on TV. I was totally caught up in the premise of the story (ancient Martians hiding from Earth colonists). It’s probably a little cheesy by today’s standards. 🙂 But at the time, I liked it. There was not a whole lot of “hard science” fiction on TV in the 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/19 "2015-07-28T14:04:58Z")
Because Mars sucks as a shooting location. Dry, dusty, cold, barren, can’t breathe. You can’t get good work out people when they are miserable. Hell, even Val Kilmer said “I hate this fucking planet”, gave it the finger, then hopped on the first piece of POS transportation outa there available. They pretty much wrapped up the movie shot after that. ---
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378/20 "2015-07-28T14:17:06Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I’ll agree that films set on Mars generally seem to do badly, but it ain’t always so. Byron Haskins’ 1964 _Robinson Crusoe on Mars_ did pretty well whgen it came out, is still critically acclaimed, and has been released on a Criterion DVD. Other films get compared to it – _Enemy Mine_ was, and I have no doubt that Ridley Scott’s upcoming version of _[The Martian_ will, too (they cover some of the same ground). > > [io]John Carter\* deserved to do better – it was a heckuva film. But it got caught in the dynastic wars at Disney, and got shabbily promoted. (Very few ads. And – tell the truth – did you ever see a single John Carter toy, activity book, or the like? Isn’t that odd, for a _Disney_ film, especially? Heck, I saw plenty of plastic toy Giant Insects from _Starship Troopers_, and kids weren’t even supposed to be able to get into that film.) > > I thought _Mars Needs Moms_ was great, too. I couldn’t tell you what happened with that one. John Carter was a weird and special case because ultimately the movie just had a lot of elements that had already been seen in Star Wars, Avatar, and a host of other hugely successful films… but the book it was based on, John Carter of Mars, predated and influenced all those films. Which makes the movie… what, I’d say perhaps worthy of respect for its source material but not necessarily entertaining? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-films-about-mars-flop-so-badly/726378.md?page=2)