On June 10, 2003, NASA launched Spirit, the first of two Mars Exploration Rovers, into space toward the red planet. Opportunity followed three weeks later. Their mission would last 90 Mars sols, the equivalent of 92.5 Earth days. They surpassed that goal by thousands of sols with Opportunity, affectionately called Oppy, which survived an incredible 15 years. The rovers have changed our understanding of Mars. They announced a scientific discovery by finding evidence of liquid water. Good night Oppy documents their exciting journey through the eyes of the dedicated team who achieved the impossible. It is a spectacular, deeply emotional retrospective told with stunning visuals, stunning visual effects and a swinging pop soundtrack. Taken from the NASA alarm clocks that started each morning on Mars.
Documentary filmmaker Ryan White introduces Steve Squyres, the lead scientist for the rover mission. Steve, a geologist, was admittedly bored with trekking around the Earth. He dared to dream other world adventures. NASA presented Steve photos of Mars taken from the Viking orbiter. There were clear signs of riverbeds and water channels. Steve spent ten years trying to convince NASA to fund an insane idea. Send robots to the surface of Mars to find evidence of habitable life.
Good night Oppy uses remarkable NASA archive 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 realize them? The scientists were huge science fiction fans. they loved Star Trek and the classic movie Short circuit, featuring his adorable robot hero, Johnny 5. It was decided to give the robbers human features. They had large round eyes and were the size of the average human, 5 feet and 2 inches.
The film’s second act deals with the daunting construction and technical challenges of landing safely on another planet. NASA had failed in their repeated attempts after Viking. Steve, who is quite emotional during his interviews, didn’t want a billion dollar bust. Everyone knew that Mars exploration could be permanently suspended with a public flop. The scenes of sheer terror and nerves of the rocket launches are compelling. Getting into space safely was the first challenge. Tears flow as both rovers reach the vacuum of space to embark on an interplanetary odyssey.
Ryan White wisely avoids technicalities
white (The Case Against 8, The Keepers) wisely avoids technicalities. He cleverly shows how the team dealt with unexpected problems such as a huge solar flare. The robbers landed weeks apart after traveling for 6 months. An engineer notes that it’s like firing a bullet from Los Angeles and hitting a doorknob at Buckingham Palace. The difficult process of navigating Mars becomes the obstacle. The rovers landed on opposite sides of the planet. They faced extreme cold and violent dust storms. Rover drivers explain how they planned every little move and then waited ten agonizing minutes for the rover to confirm.
White captures the stress, frustration and eventual victories of the rover teams. Spirit and Oppy’s daily diaries are read by actress Angela Bassett. White manages to give them a warm personality. We see them as their creators, as children guided through wondrous terrain. The robbers were loved. Hundreds of people devoted decades of their lives to these moments. This is the most endearing feature of the film. Machines in another world are damn impressive. But the human intellect, imagination and sheer determination are wonderful to behold. The flesh and blood behind the robbers will make your heart beat faster.
Spirit and Oppy found what they were looking for. The pure jubilation of discoveries is skilfully captured and edited. I couldn’t hold back the tears. Mars was not always a bare rock. It looked like millions of years on Earth. A bad message is heard from several interviews. Life is a precious commodity that is not guaranteed. We must do everything possible to save Earth from the fate of Mars.
Good night Oppies sound and visual effects are amazing. Industrial Light & Magic brings breathtaking realism to the rovers and Mars. Everything we see and hear is an exact representation. The film portrays Mars in glorious detail. It is both familiar and exotically otherworldly. One of the best scenes where Steve reacts to the first close-up images of Martian soil. It was very different than expected. He cries from the impact. We see a man’s dream come true. It is a powerful moment that resonates with the stars.
Good night Oppy is a production of Film 45, Amblin Television, Tripod Media and Industrial Light & Magic. It will hit theaters on November 4. Followed by a Prime Video debut on November 23.