An Exhilarating Retrospective of Scientific Glory

On June 10, 2003, NASA launched Spirit, the first of two Mars Exploration Rovers, into space towards the red planet. Opportunity followed three weeks later. Their mission was expected to last 90 Martian sols, the equivalent of 92.5 Earth days. They surpassed that objective by thousands of sols with Opportunity, affectionately named Oppy, surviving an incredible 15 years. The rovers transformed our understanding of Mars. They heralded a benchmark scientific discovery by finding evidence of liquid water. Good Night Oppy documents their exhilarating journey through the eyes of the dedicated team that achieved the impossible. It’s a spectacular, deeply emotional retrospective told with stunning footage, amazing visual effects, and a swinging pop soundtrack. Taken from the NASA wake-up songs used to start every morning on Mars.

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Documentary filmmaker Ryan White first introduces Steve Squyres, the principle scientist for the rover mission. A geologist, Steve was admittedly bored with trekking around Earth. He dared to dream other world adventures. NASA presented Steve with pictures of Mars taken from the Viking orbiter. There were obvious signs of river beds and water channels. Steve spent a decade trying to convince NASA to fund an insane idea. Send robots to the Martian surface to find proof of habitable life.

Good Night Oppy uses remarkable NASA archival video to show the project in its nascent stage. We meet Jennifer Trosper, the mission manager, a farm girl from rural Ohio who grew up to be a brilliant aerospace engineer. The team literally started from the drawing board. What are the primary goals? What mechanisms are needed to accomplish them? The scientists were huge science fiction fans. They loved Star Trek and the classic film Short Circuit, with its adorable robot hero, Johnny 5. The decision was made to give the rovers human features. They had big round eyes and were the height of the average human, 5 feet and 2 inches.

The film’s second act tackles the daunting construction problems and engineering challenges to land safely on another planet. NASA had failed in their repeat attempts after Viking. Steve, who’s quite emotional throughout his interviews, didn’t want a billion dollar failure. Everyone knew that Mars exploration could be shelved permanently with a public flop. The scenes of pure apprehension and nerves of the rocket launches are riveting. Getting to space safely was the first challenge. Tears flow as both rovers reach the vacuum of space to begin an interplanetary odyssey.

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Ryan White Wisely Avoids Technical Minutiae

White (The Case Against 8, The Keepers) wisely avoids technical minutiae. He cleverly shows how the team dealt with unexpected problems like a massive solar flare. The rovers landed weeks apart after a 6-month journey. An engineer comments that’s like firing a bullet from Los Angeles and hitting a doorknob in Buckingham Palace. The tough process of navigating Mars becomes the obstacle. The rovers landed on opposite sides of the planet. They were faced with extreme cold and violent dust storms. Rover drivers explain how they planned every tiny move, and then waited ten agonizing minutes for rover confirmation.

White captures the stress, frustration, and eventual triumphs of the rover teams. Spirit and Oppy’s daily diaries are read by actress Angela Bassett. White succeeds in giving them a warm personality. We see them like their creators, as children guided through wondrous terrain. The rovers were loved. Hundreds of people dedicated decades of their lives for these moments. This is the film’s most endearing trait. Machines on another world are damned impressive. But the human intellect, imagination, and pure determination is wondrous to behold. The flesh and blood behind the rovers will make your heart soar.

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Spirit and Oppy found what they were searching for. The sheer jubilation of discoveries are expertly captured and edited. I couldn’t hold back tears. Mars was not always a barren rock. It looked like Earth for millions of years. A dire message rings through from multiple interviews. Life is a precious commodity that’s not guaranteed. We must do everything possible to prevent Earth from Mars’ fate.

Good Night Oppy’s sound and visual effects are mind-blowing. Industrial Light & Magic gives breathtaking realism to the rovers and Mars. Everything we see and hear are exact renderings. The film portrays Mars in glorious detail. It’s both familiar and exotically alien. One of the best scenes has Steve reacting to the first close-up images of Martian soil. It was much different than expected. He weeps from its impact. We’re seeing a man’s dream fulfilled. It’s a powerful moment that resonates to the stars.

Good Night Oppy is a production of Film 45, Amblin Television, Tripod Media, and Industrial Light & Magic. It will have a theatrical release on November 4th. Followed by a Prime Video debut on November 23rd.

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