Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Family movie night? There's an app for that

Download our new mobile app on iOS and Android.

Get the app
Parents' Guide to

Mission to Mars

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

So-so sci-fi with some very intense scenes.

Movie PG 2000 114 minutes
Mission to Mars Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 9+

Based on 1 parent review

Plague
Plague Parent
April 15, 2010
age 9+

Mission to Mars

Great movie that your kids will love. As mentioned by Spud, there are 2 scenes that could be disturbing for younger audiences. Other than that, its a film thats definitely worth the watch.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

MISSION TO MARS takes place in 2020. Don Cheadle plays an astronaut who leads a team to Mars to investigate the possibility of colonization. When a huge tunnel-like dust storm kills the rest of the team, and communication with the space station is cut off, four of his colleagues, played by Tim Robbins, Jerry O'Connell, Gary Sinese, and Connie Nielson, go on a rescue mission.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This movie makes Close Encounters of the Third Kind seem like rocket science -- it even makes The Day the Earth Stood Still look like rocket science -- but the pictures are pretty.

Director Brian DePalma is known for movies that have two qualities: striking visual flair and frustrating narrative incoherence. If you are the kind of person who talks about the plot after seeing a movie, this is not your kind of movie. But if you would enjoy seeing an old-time Flash Gordon-style movie with 21st-century special effects and computer graphics, you just might want to see it twice.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the choices made by the characters, including one who commits suicide to save the lives of others, and about the prospects of space exploration and colonization.

  • Science-fiction movies and novels have long been fascinated with the planet Mars. What are some other examples of movies and books set on Mars? Why do you think Mars arouses such curiosity and speculation?

  • What similarities do you see between this film and other science-fiction movies, most notably 2001?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate