The Last Days on Mars (2013)

Elevator Pitch: In the future an expedition on Mars is preparing to leave from its elaborate research facility, which consists of two large multi-compartment structures, and it supported by two “Mars Rovers” which are large six wheeled vehicles. During a final day of exploration one of the team falls through a hole in the surface, which ends up, during rescue efforts, with people being infected with an unknown fungus which transforms them into zombie like creatures. Despite efforts on the parts of the survivors they are gradually infected, but can anyone survive and will transfer of the infection to the space craft be prevented.

Content: No sex or nudity, or booze, drugs or tobacco. We see the crew members in the facilities, which have many doors and also out on the surface of the planet which is dusty. They ride about in the large Mars Rovers with two of them in the control station. Once crew members are infected they seem to be raging monsters with black faces, and like more conventional zombies can infect others. This leads to people shutting each other out or into various spaces, somewhat confusingly. 

A View: Unfortunately this is old hat. This is a pity. I liked the surface of the planet, apparently Wadi Rum in Jordan, and the interiors of the space camp, and the Mars Rovers, but found the script lacking ingenuity. Imagine how much creepier it would have been if the Martians had taken over the bodies of the astronauts, with no outward signs (Oh wait, that’s The Thing). Not really a watch even for nothing or while doing something else.

Here are three films involving Mars which are better entertainment, in my view: Life, Red Planet, The Martian .