Product Description

From the mind of science-fiction giant Ray Bradbury springs what is perhaps his most epic vision. Capturing mankind s first venture into the colonization of another planet and its tragic first contact with another species The Martian Chronicles is a stunning achievement that will take you from the edge of your seat to the stars.Earth is on the verge of extinction. To survive mankind must find another place to live. But when three expeditions to Mars headed by Col. John Wilder (Oscar®-nominee* Rock Hudson) find suitable conditions for relocation humans pour in by the shipload bringing the old evils of Earth with them! As Wilder begins to heed the lessons of the dying Martian civilization can he save humanity from repeating its doom?System Requirements: Running Time 293 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating: NR UPC: 027616911278 Manufacturer No: 1006989

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5422 in DVD
• Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
• Released on: 2004-09-07
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Dolby, Miniseries, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 293 minutes

Amazon.com
With each passing year, this 1980 miniseries becomes more for those who have read Ray Bradbury's landmark novel. The three-part, nearly five-hour series keeps its brainy science fiction roots; this story (and the 1940s novel) is not about laser battles and exciting action pieces. Bradbury's novel is galvanized by the cold war nightmare: at the end of the 20th century, an earth teetering on world war begins to colonize Mars without much knowledge of the new world. Hard science is left for other stories, and director Michael Anderson (Logan's Run) keeps this retrofitting: for example, astronauts arrive on a breathable Mars in leisure suits. The space travel effects are clunky, but the action on Mars--with Assheton Gorton's geometric sets and simple props--are far more effective. There are Martians there, as the unprepared first Earthlings learn. Later, as the planet is quickly colonized, the remaining Martians are near specters--bringing awe and fear to those they encounter. Master sci-fi writer Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) smartly streamlines Bradbury's episodic stories, giving a central role to Col. John Wilder (played by Rock Huston, leading a plethora of solid, yet B-list actors). For those in love with cerebral science fiction, they can enjoy this dated but curious sci-fi miniseries; for those of think sci-fi began with Star Wars, beware. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews

Retro homage to the Ray Bradbury classic
Yes, I must certainly admit that the special effects here may be rather cheesy by today's standards, and some elements of Ray Bradbury's original script may have been changed a little, but despite its flaws this is an unforgettable production that skillfully weaves together the various short stories from the original book into what amounts to the acts of a dramatic play, centering around the Col. Wilder character played by Rock Hudson. Its main focus is on the tragic consequences, to both humans and Martians, when two civilizations collide after man's attempted colonization of Mars. The Martians, when they appear, lend an air of mystery and eeriness to the saga, since one never is sure when they will appear next, what their intentions are, or even whether they are real or ghosts. Perhaps my favorite scene is where an eccentric restaurant owner named "Sam Parkhill" is so spooked by one that comes to visit him, that he shoots the visitor, then tries to get away in a relic Martian "sand ship" when he thinks the others are out to get him.

Although it does not always follow the original script to the letter, this is a very imaginative adaptation of Ray Bradbury's work. Highly recommended.

Like the expanded short story
the longer devoloped held you understand the storyline betterbought this on VHS, then Laserdisc now DVD I lost the others
When we as people go to Mars I hope we understand that we are there not here any longer

How well does it hold up?
Being just out of my teens when the Martian Chronicles was released, I had always remembered the impact of probably the first sci-fi mini-series I had ever seen. Having shared the memory of the program with my daughter and her friends but unable to find it in any video store led me to Amazon for an order.

The Chronicles is less of a story than it's a series of short stories following life on Mars during the initial manned exploration and the colonization projected for the mid 1990's through 2007, shortly after mankind blew Earth away. Although they're inter-related by the colonization theme, several of the stories can stand alone so you can skip and jump a little.

The series requires a little suspension of belief to get passed the ideas that you can walk in regular clothing & breathe okay with just a little effort on Mars. BUT once you're past that it's still a pretty good collection of tales. The author shines through with shades of Star Trek in the ironic side stories of the stranded astronomer and with Bernadette Peter's episode. In both, the endings are pure Bradbury.

The concluding scene still has the impact of the original too, but it does seem like it takes a little longer to get there. Production standards and timing has changed a good deal since the 70s, so hitting the 1x fast forward button during the panoramic scenes doesn't hurt at all. It even helps the musical (wind-flute?) backdrop a little.

All in all, it's worth the effort both to see a classic author and a classic of sci-fi. Maybe they'll re-do it as the Europa Chronicles in the near future!