Mars

Blending sci-fi and sci-fact, this six-part National Geographic miniseries from executive producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard juxtaposes a dramatic narrative centered on a problem-plagued manned mission to colonize the Red Planet with interviews from experts who talk about the challenging technical aspects of such a complicated venture. The 2016 interviews—with NASA officials and talking heads ranging from Apollo 13 commander James Lovell and celebrity science guy Neil deGrasse Tyson to novelist Andy Weir (author of The Martian) and entrepreneur Elon Musk—are genuinely informative, even if the series embraces Musk's company SpaceX with excessive enthusiasm. But the fictional Mars trip—while impressive from a purely visual perspective—is hobbled by sketchy characterization, stilted acting, leaden dialogue, and melodramatic plot turns, beginning with the death of the mission commander during a landing in 2033 and extending into 2037, when a devastating tragedy in the struggling colony threatens to derail the entire project (until a shocking discovery promises to revitalize it). Mars is a handsome, ambitious production, but its hybrid structure ultimately works against it. Extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes, as well as cast and crew interviews. A strong optional purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)