Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Roving Mars

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

NASA sends robots to explore Mars in IMAX docu.

Movie G 2006 40 minutes
Roving Mars Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Computer-generated images simulating take-off, flight, and landings make this documentary beautiful and informative. Anyone interested in humankind's highest achievements in space exploration will be inspired by the hard work that went into conceiving and building the robots seen here. Though tRoving Mars isn't the most dramatic documentary, once the robot design problems are solved, simulations show that the parachutes designed to break the fall at landing are exploding, and the engineers must design new ones as the deadline for launch nears. Scientists who worked on the project explain the instrumentation on board, including cameras, microscopes, drilling tools, and spectrometers. As one puts it, in any major project, setbacks are guaranteed, and that's not a bad philosophy for getting through life.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: January 27, 2006
  • On DVD or streaming: July 31, 2007
  • Director: George Butler
  • Studio: Disney+
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Character Strengths: Perseverance
  • Run time: 40 minutes
  • MPAA rating: G
  • Last updated: February 18, 2023

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.

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