Spoiler This version of Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles" nearly knocks you senseless with the decidedly unsubtle way in which it conveys its message, namely, that it's not always a good idea to colonize a new land or planet simply because we can. That being said, this miniseries was excellent for many reasons (Rock Hudson was NOT one of them, however). First of all, the actors and actress who portrayed the Martians (pre-Earth colonization Martians, that is) were as eery and as beautiful and as mysterious as one would expect, with their golden eyes (how did they do that?) lyrical music, crystal-type cities and their cerebral lifestyle. Their beauty and intelligence complement the dolts who came from Earth to colonize (and steal) their planet. The pre-settlers Martians were as, I believe, Mr. Bradbury would have wanted them portrayed. But the settlers, for the most part, were idiots, totally devoid of any feeling for the planet they were conquering. Of course there were a few who appreciated the Martian culture - Capt. Wilder (Rock Hudson) and his colleague, astronaut Jeff Spender (Bernie Casey). But even they become twisted after a while; Wilder realizes he and his family are the Martians now and Spender's body is taken over by a Martian and ends up being killed, ironically, by Wilder.
The most interesting parts of this miniseries was the beginning of the 1st part ("The Explorers") where we get a glimpse of Martian life before the spaceship of "Rocket Summer" descends. My favorite segment came in the final segment when Capt. Wilder meets a Martian through a time warp. The Martian and Wilder get into a philosophic discussion and the Martian gives Wilder a philosphy of life by which to live. (I copied word for word, it is such a good philosophy). By the way, the Secret, as it is called, is not in the book, which is too bad. The worst segments are the one in which a lonely man finds a woman and the two decidedly don't hit it off. The acting, by Christopher Connelly and Bernadette Peters, is fine; it's just the story is annoying and too long. Even more annoying was the storyline of Sam Parkhill and his wife. Sam came with the Wilder expedition and, upon settling, he and his wife set up a roadside diner. Only toward the end, when Sam and his wife see Earth destroyed in a nuclear holocaust does the irritation change into something searingly frightening. But it goes back to being annoying when Sam meets a Martian who has come to give him a treaty bequeathing nearly half of Mars to Sam. Instead of being grateful or trying to understand what this tall, regal Martian is saying, Sam (dressed in a ridiculous toupee and cowboy outfit) shoots the Martian. Overall, this is an entertaining and thought-provoking (though NOT subtle) miniseries and is worth the time. I recommend it highly.
The most interesting parts of this miniseries was the beginning of the 1st part ("The Explorers") where we get a glimpse of Martian life before the spaceship of "Rocket Summer" descends. My favorite segment came in the final segment when Capt. Wilder meets a Martian through a time warp. The Martian and Wilder get into a philosophic discussion and the Martian gives Wilder a philosphy of life by which to live. (I copied word for word, it is such a good philosophy). By the way, the Secret, as it is called, is not in the book, which is too bad. The worst segments are the one in which a lonely man finds a woman and the two decidedly don't hit it off. The acting, by Christopher Connelly and Bernadette Peters, is fine; it's just the story is annoying and too long. Even more annoying was the storyline of Sam Parkhill and his wife. Sam came with the Wilder expedition and, upon settling, he and his wife set up a roadside diner. Only toward the end, when Sam and his wife see Earth destroyed in a nuclear holocaust does the irritation change into something searingly frightening. But it goes back to being annoying when Sam meets a Martian who has come to give him a treaty bequeathing nearly half of Mars to Sam. Instead of being grateful or trying to understand what this tall, regal Martian is saying, Sam (dressed in a ridiculous toupee and cowboy outfit) shoots the Martian. Overall, this is an entertaining and thought-provoking (though NOT subtle) miniseries and is worth the time. I recommend it highly.