Voyage to the Outer Planets & Beyond

Starring:Isaac Asimov
Studio: Aae Films
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Fantastic Effects and Real Science
SPACE TRAVEL W/O The Schmaltz
Wow.
I Liked the Extras more than the Program
Voyage to the Planets (UK title Space Odyssey)

Voyage to the Planets and Beyond
Starring: David Suchet , Martin McDougall , Joanne McQuinn , Rad Lazar , and Mark Dexter
Director: Joe Ahearne , and Christopher Riley (III)
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007Z0O04
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Amazon.com

Think of this BBC two-part TV special as Walking with Planets. One of the makers of the excellent Walking with... dinosaur programs looks forward--into the future--and upward--into space--for another presentation of story-driven science. This fake documentary follows an international crew of five on an extraordinary six-year spaceflight. We hear from Mission Control and view footage of the astronauts in training along with the flight photography and "TV broadcasts" (perfect for quickly explaining facts via Q&As). The flight is beyond ambitious: landing on Venus, Jupiter's volcanic moon Io, the rings of Saturn, an asteroid, and the far-off reaches of Pluto. Certainly, no real space agency would sign off on such a mission, but the dramatics work thanks to the deft handling by writer-director Joe Ahearne (Ultraviolet). Here's a fun way to learn about the crushing pressure of Venus or the risk/reward of slingshot-ing around the sun. With quick pacing (we are on Venus six minutes into the two-hour movie), smart choices (some of the astronauts' hardships are brutal), plus excellent special effects (the mile-long spacecraft Pegasus is a dandy), you have a program with which families can learn together and kids will want to watch more than once.

The DVD contains some great making-of features, plus a complete episode on the real-life space probes that have visited--and are still visiting--the planets. They are just as watchable as the main program. --Doug Thomas

Description

Imagine trying to capture an icy block from Saturn's rings or drill on the disintegrating surface of a comet. This program reveals for the first time the danger and spectacle of what it would be like for astronauts to land on and explore the other planets in the solar system. Their mission lasts for six years, extending the boundaries of what has been achieved in space travel to date. Combining the latest scientific thinking and the real-life experiences of astronauts with drama and spectacular CGI, Voyage to the Planets and Beyond propels us into the not-too-distant future.

DVD Features: Featurette:50-minute Robot Pioneers feature examining the history of space exploration25 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes Other:Fact files Photo gallery:

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Effects and Real Science.......2007-01-18

OK let me start by saying that no country, or even groups of countries, would spend the trillions of dollars and euros that this mission would cost.
With that out of the way, I must say that the mission is believeable in every aspect except the landing on Venus. I am an engineer who has been involved with the various space programs for 30 years and the technology for this type of mission exists or is close to existing. Again the only technological hurdle is the Venus stuff but everything else, including the nuclear propulsion, rotating structure to provide partial "gravity", recycling of water and waste material, etc are either here now or will be available withing a decade. What is not avaiable is the national will to spend the kind of money a mission like this would require. We could have been back to the moon and to Mars 20 years ago if we had been willing to spend the cash. But imagine funding this type of mission. The hydrogen tankers at "strategic locations" along the trip alone would cost more than the Apollo program, even in today's dollars/euros.
As to this movie - bravo. The special effects were outstanding. You actually believed they were on Mars, Io and even Pluto. Even the Venus landing "looked" good, even if it wasn't very feasible. Everything about this movie was first class and I have enjoyed watching it again and again. Since we'll not visit any of these places with manned craft in most of your lifetimes (except Mars) this is the next best thing. The "planet scapes" of Mars, Venus, Io, Saturn's rings, Pluto and the Comet were just what I would espect to see. Life aboard the ship was as realistic as could be expected and the actors did a great job.
I recommend this to anyone with an interest in spaceflight and anyone else who would just like to be "wowed" by some fantastic scenery.

SPACE TRAVEL W/O The Schmaltz.......2006-07-23

I have to admit, i am practically addicted to this film, but for a variety of reasons, not all of which have to do with the "drama" of the show. Let's start out, on the hard science that backs up the show. For what we know today, from Hubble, the planetary probes, and solar activity, most of what i see in the show, DOES address the reality of space travel. It's a very practical show, because it addresses our technological shortcomings, to REAL interplanetary space travel. Even tho Bush has tried to play this game, that mankind can go to Mars, we can not at the present stage, because of the VERY REASON so often stressed in this film. 1. NEED OF A VERY FAST PROPULSION SYSTEM. We cant make it with our present rockets. Only something like a FUSION Nuclear engine, could give us the boost, to get where we are going FAST. 2. NEED OF SOME KIND OF ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY. Again, they have this sort of "Carnival ride" that allows the living quarters and workout space, to spin, providing the centrifugal gravity of 0.5 G. The space ship itself is a mile long, so that allows things like the SPACE DEBRY shield, and the centrifugal gravity quarters, to operate within the boundries of science. 3. SOLAR ACTIVITY PROTECTION. Again, they have a special invention, that provides the astronauts with something like an artifically produced VAN ALLEN radiation belt, around the inner core of the ship. They even has a space suit like that, which i was totally taken away by, from the pure inventiveness. 4. GAS STATIONS FOR LONGER FLIGHTS Another problem solved, was done via sending out huge HYDROGEN fuel tanks, around Mars and elsewhere, for refueling. Other problems with the scientific limits of the human body were delt with, as well as the problems of the vulnerability of the human body, physically and mentally.

People have critized this movie, because at each planet/solar system encounter, some type of CRISIS happened. WEll, OK, you do need some kind of drama to drive the film. Human interactions between the crew, and the ground crew, are not enough. However, with both a well written musical score giving a dramatic UMPH, good script writing, and total REALITY of depliction, it's easy to buy into the idea, that what you are REALLY watching, isnt a film, but rather a series of TV news reports, mixed with documentary material. That makes the whole thing WORK, tho not in the way a film like "APOLLO 13", or "VOYAGE TO MARS" works. There are not extended "interpersonal" dramas, outside of the normal ones expected, with tragidy strikes. The special effects are SO INCREDIBLE, that they literally filmed part of this movie in ZERO GRAVITY, on one of those parabolic planes, the infamous "VOMIT COMETS", used to train astronauts for the experience of weightlessness. Imagine watching these actors move around in the weightless enviorment, WITHOUT computer animation. ITS SO COOL. Because the awe, and queasiness, and joy, of weightlessness comes across so well, when BBC could have easily done the cheap thing ,and just used wires and blue screens with computer work. Also the scenes on Venus and Mars are beautiful. The encounter with the sun, as a gravity swing shot, was magnificent, because all these REAL FILMS of the sun from the SOHO observatory were used. The same with the VENUSIAN radar mapping of the planet used for that part, and so on and so on. Maybe the only part that sort of made me wonder, was WHY they went to Pluto. ALso, I sort of wondered what was up with the comet encounter. (Not really nessacary, tho it was a great dramatic ending.) If you DO line up each encounter with danger, starting at VENUS, then MARS, then the SOLAR SLING SHOT, then the ASTEROID BELT, then JUPITER's IO, then SATURN's RING, then THE COMET, each encounter that caused danger, is more and more catastrophic, and dangerous, than the last one. Sure, something happens on VENUS, but then again, that's NOTHING compaired with what happens later. So, suspense, and danger, and most of all, ADVENTURE is kept alive. NO, nothing like ancient cultures are found, or talking marians. I mean, DO WE REALLY EXPECT THIS? Much of what we still want to believe about our solar system, is based on our deep wish to know, that LIFE happens all the time. maybe the best thing is that we find out, that its RARE, and should be protected and cherished on our planet. I dont want to give out spoilers, so i better stop here.

In conclusion, i borrowed this film from the library, and i have LITERALLY watched this thing at least 7 times thru. I never NEVER do that with films. But between the actual footage of the planets and the sun, mixed with the reality of the mission, the space ship, and the documentary style, i just love this movie. This is the REAL documentary about Mankind's conquest of our solar system, that i may never see in my lifetime. AND, if our world doesnt get it together, and spend its money on science art and education, instead of braindead entertainment, war machines and pharmeceutical company lobotomies that allow us to complacently accept this boring NON life as "adequet", then we may NEVER get to explore the heavens. More than anything, this is a film that gives us HOPE, in a world that DOES survive, and thru international cooperation, finds the cultural and scientific motivation, to make great stides forward. THis is truly the future i wish my descendants, and not Hell on earth chewing on soilent Green. So, buy this to instill a bit of hope for a good future for humanity. Right now, we sure need to believe in it.

Wow........2006-04-21

I've seen a lot of educational movies about space exploration and the like, and this film really takes things to a new level. I really enjoyed the fictional documentary format, especially since they were in able to make it so believable for most of the movie. This is particularly impressive given the very modest budget of the movie.

More importantly, perhaps, the filmmakers did a good job of not dumbing down the content and of being (more or less) scientifically accurate in their depiction of the mission. One reviewer commented that the crew took a lot of risks in the movie that were "unrealistic" in the sense that they were risks that modern astronauts probably would not take. That said, the risks the crew took were not unrealistic in the sense that they were scientific fiction, which helped to greatly preserve the integrity of the film.

Overall, this film is a rare treasure in that it is botn entertaining and highly informative.

I Liked the Extras more than the Program.......2006-02-21

The main program is based on an interesting idea. It posits a crewed mission to most of the solar system with landings at most of the stops. While this is not technically achievable right now, at least as described in the program, it is based on technology that seems achievable in the near future. The encounters with the planets and other bodies are based upon science as we understand it right now. The facts presented by the program tend to be straightforward and there is little hype in the sense that one usually expects it.

There is some hype. It seems that with every step of the mission some crisis takes places. These are not built up in an overly dramatic fashion and the crises are based upon real and known problems with the particular venue. The atmosphere of Venus is crushing and corrosive; the crisis there involves the suit which succumbs to this environment sooner than expected. There are no nasty surprises waiting for the crew such as little aliens with ray guns or exotic viruses. The crises are foreseeable and generally illustrate a technical point.

It seems as if throughout the entire show, they are building up for a "big discovery" about life. I kept waiting for the revelation, just knowing they were going to find something on Mars, or in the seas of Titan. That it never came was a minor disappointment in a "dramatic" sense but a great joy in the sense that the program refused to take a leap beyond facts as presently understood.

The show was well done but, all in all, not too interesting. I was only going to give it 3 stars until I watched some of the extra features. The "making of" segments were very interesting in that they described how the various extra terrestrial environments were re-created. I found that interesting. Best of all, though, was a half hour program on the actual robotic probes which have been sent by Earth. I have always loved seeing footage from these probes and I enjoy it still. It was nice to see the way these programs were used to build the hypothetical Pegasus program depicted in the feature. This is what gave it the extra star for me.

Voyage to the Planets (UK title Space Odyssey).......2006-02-07

Firstly, this film was not made in 1986 as the title says. It was made in 2004. It was originally to be titled 'Walking With Spacemen' which I think would clue most people in on the level of professionalism that they can expect from the 'Walking With Dinosaurs' team.

I think some of this docudrama's detractors need to take a course in both science and drama. This film does what its predecessors ('Walking With Dinosaurs', 'Chased By Dinosaurs') did - it attempts to present the viewer with the latest knowledge about our solar system in a 'you are there' style of drama. I think they achieved this admirably and on an incredibly tiny budget. I'd rather watch this film ten times over than watch the awful garbage that a massive budget Hollywood blockbuster would give us - does anyone remember the appalling drivel that was 'Armageddon' or 'Mission to Mars'?

One thing I did think was a bit far-fetched was the amount of risk involved in the mission - would a crew land on a planet on which pressure suits would only last two hours? I doubt it. Would a manned space ship go into a star's corona? I doubt it. Would humans land on a moon that was being bombarded with huge amounts of radiation? I doubt it. Also, the ship seemed overly sturdy. Would a ship designed like that risk atmospheric flight to slow it down? I doubt it. Would it survive being hit by comet debris? I doubt it. I think in both cases the stresses on the structure would be too much. But all-in-all, the unlikely scenarios were compensated by some nicely done special effects, good editing and production, and some good acting, especially by the actors portraying the ship's commander and the Russian cosmonaut.

Even with the minor inaccuracies and the stretching of possibilities that the movie includes, this film fulfills its intentions admirably, and matches the 'wow!' factor of films like 'Chased by Dinosaurs' and 'Walking With Dinosaurs'. If you don't see this movie, you're missing out on a taste of what space exploration will be long after most of us are dead and gone.

Average customer rating:

Voyage to the Outer Planets & Beyond
Starring: Isaac Asimov
Manufacturer: Allied Artists Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

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Voyage to the Planets and Beyond
My Fantastic Field Trip to the Planets
Atom: Journey Across the Subatomic Cosmos
The Creation of the Universe
Isaac Asimov's Guide to Earth and Space

ASIN: B000085EFA
Release Date: 2003-01-23

The Sci-Fi Invasion! (Cosmos- War of the Planets, Assignment Outer Space, Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet, Warning From Space)

Average customer rating:

The Sci-Fi Invasion! (Cosmos- War of the Planets, Assignment Outer Space, Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet, Warning From Space)
Director: Alfonso Brescia , Antonio Margheriti , Curtis Harrington , and Koji Shima
Manufacturer: Digiview Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

This Island Earth

ASIN: B000FJNYCC

Product Description

Cosmos- War of the Planets (1977): Astronaut Mike Leighton has just been given an assignment to travel to an unexplored planet. His mission is to investigate an intercepted message that originated there. While exploring the unknown territory, Mike and his crew discover an alien civilization that is being enslaved by a giant robot in a maze of subterranean tunnels. Now our hero must prepare for a confrontation with the robot, with the fat of an entire civilization in his hands. Assignment Outer Space (1960, aka Space Men): In the 21st century Ray Peterson, reporter for the Interplanetary News gets an assignment to write a story from aboard a space station. Tension mounts between Peterson and the station commander when the crew realizes that a space ship has just entered the solar system and is radiating enough heat to destroy Earth. Peterson is the one who must enter the ship and disable its generators before he suffocates and Earth is history. Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965): A crew of cosmonauts, led by Professor Hartman and Marcia, is sent to Venus with a highly sophisticated robot to explore its surface. However, when a volcanic eruption threatens to engulf the planet in lava and prehistoric beasts begin to attack the crew, they must figure out a way to escape. Will they find a way off this alien planet, or will this dangerous mission be their last? Warning From Space (1956): When a small planet enters into a collision course with Earth, giant, starfish-like aliens come to warn the humans. Their appearance causes worldwide panic, making it difficult for them to deliver the message. When they finally do, they commission a scientist to develop a bomb to destroy the planet, but the bomb is stolen by a rogue group who intend to use it for their own purposes. Can they recover the weapon in time, or will the Earth be destroyed?

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