The Martian Chronicles - DVD

Film: Many TV fans from Germany associate very special memories with the first broadcast of the "Mars Chroniken" at the beginning of the 1980s, since ZDF drew attention to the then novel use of two-channel sound with scenes from the mini-series on continuous loop. Thus, the series was also known to viewers who did not watch the entire series. Since the three episodes have not been repeated for a long time now, the lavish production has been unjustly forgotten by most. But Koch Media is to thank that inclined fans can now take a nostalgic trip back to the 80s,. For now "The Martian Chronicles" are finally available on DVD.

The story begins in 1999 with the first mission to Mars, hoping to colonize the red planet as soon as possible. However, this first crew falls victim to the jealousy of a Martian. A short time later, a second expedition is sent on its way. These men find a planet that reminds them of their homeland down to the smallest detail - which, however, turns out to be a trap set by the Martians and once again ends fatally for the humans. The third crew, however, which flies to Mars, then finds only dead Martians. Apparently, a virus introduced by the humans has killed them. And so the humans can set about colonizing Mars. In the year 2006 this has become reality. But it soon turns out that the humans' new home still holds some secrets. And the fact that humans seem to have brought all their bad traits with them to Mars turns out to be the biggest problem.

With "Evasion to the 23rd. Century" director Michael Anderson behind the camera, an original by "Fahrenheit 451" author Ray Bradbury, and a screenplay by "I am Legend" author Richard Matheson, "The Martian Chronicles" was admittedly a feast for all science fiction fans. With Rock Hudson prominently cast and with impressive equipment and good special effects at the time, the mini-series was one of the really big TV highlights of the early 80s. From today's point of view, the whole thing seems very old-fashioned and sometimes even trashy. But the production has a charming naivety, which can still please thirty years later.

The story is, although sometimes told a little confusing and resolved too cheesy, even after all these years still exciting, interesting and especially in contrast to the staging not outdated. It's just fun to follow the action and get lost in the story on Mars, despite some lengths and not quite polished dialogue. Certainly, younger, "Avatar"-accustomed viewers will find the charm of this mini-series hard to come by. But nostalgic science fiction fans should definitely not miss this 80s gem.

It is worth mentioning that the three episodes are available here in unabridged versions. Here, the scenes that were cut from the German version were not re-dubbed, but left in the original English and given German subtitles. Especially in the second episode some interesting, strongly religious sequences were missing, which German viewers now finally get to see.

Picture + Sound: Assuming that the source material is over thirty years old, this DVD release leaves quite a positive impression overall. Admittedly, the picture is a bit washed out and shows noticeable flaws in sharpness, contrast and cleanliness, especially in the darker scenes, but the bottom line is that the picture is definitely on a good TV level. The sound is heavily front-heavy, but the dialogue is mixed powerfully and clearly understandable and also the music fits harmoniously into the action. For a TV production from the early 80s absolutely satisfactory.

Extras: Unfortunately there is only a nice booklet and an interesting picture gallery with old promotional material to see. Not much, but a nice addition for fans.

Conclusion: "The Martian Chronicles" is pure nostalgia, a piece of television history that is now finally available on DVD. While the ravages of time have clearly taken their toll on the staging and effects, kids of the 70s and 80s will get a lot of enjoyment out of this release. The 3 DVD set is technically appealing, the extras are unfortunately sparse, but a nice addition. Recommendable

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp