Educational Media Reviews Online

This video is a cultural history of Mars since ancient times. The video uses film technology and animation to guide the viewer through a visual representation of a Mars Museum located on Mars itself. Sculptures, paintings, legends, mythologies, and the history of the planet Mars are provided through a virtual presentation in the Mars Museum. Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury and film director Paul Verhoeven (Total Recall) are two of the many personages who comment on their involvement in the mystique of the Red Planet and its portrayals in literature and film. NASA missions, historical commentary, and even some cute and funny animation clips are provided and discussed. The historical evolution of the book War of the Worlds in its written, radio, and film versions is given special treatment. At the end of the "virtual" tour of the Mars Museum, the viewer is whisked away on a shuttle out of the museum and flies over a futuristic Mars colony into space. There is even a "virtual" poet who occasionally appears and disappears throughout the video, quoting mystical sayings and short writings on the Red Planet.

The originality and presentation concepts used in this Video are impressive. Highly recommended for use in K-12 education as an introduction to the planet Mars. It is highly entertaining, and combines historical information with humorous and imaginary visual effects. A true gem for the elementary and secondary science instructor!