'Found footage'
science fiction drama, released 2013
Humanity is going to one of Jupiter's moons, EUROPA. Recent
findings of heat signatures there have made this trip so urgent, a private
company, Europa Ventures, is spending billions to send an international crew of
six (instead of just a robotic probe) to search for signs of life. DR SAMANTHA
UNGER, the CEO of the company, shows the enthusiastic beginning of the voyage,
and she and the crew members describe the early part of the trip. Unfortunately
(of course, unfortunately--it wouldn't be much of a story otherwise)
communication between Earth and the spaceship is lost. Most of the film from
then on is from the video diary of the pilot, ROSA DASQUE.
It soon becomes apparent that one of the crew has died, but
just how is not shown until much later. The chief engineer, ANDREI BLOK,
develops psychological problems. These events destroy the thrill of the journey
for the rest. When they finally reach Europa, they land too far from their
target in CONAMARA CHAOS (a real area on Europa), so KATYA PETROVNA, the
science officer volunteers to take a surface walk, and does indeed find a
one-celled living creature. Then the ice cracks and she dies. The survivors now
have to decide to keep searching for more evidence of life or to return to
Earth with what information they have…
Neil deGrasse Tyson puts in a cameo as himself, which is
always welcome.
EUROPA REPORT has been described as a slow burning thriller.
That's accurate. You don't even realize there's some kind of mystery for the
first half hour. The movies is also said
to 'put the science back into science fiction,' but that's a laugh. People talk
between the spaceship and Earth instantaneously with no light-speed
transmission time delay, and one of the astronauts says the surface of Europa
is at absolute zero temperature. Plus, the excuse, heat signatures, for sending
people before sending robots is silly.
The film reminds one of 2001, but isn't nearly as well done.
For one, the director jumps back and forth between one time period and another.
Whatever his intention, the result is a confusing muddle that's hard to follow.
Yet even with all the negative comments, the movie held my
interest, and I watched to the end. As a workout movie, I rate it at +++ - it
will get your pulse up to a jog.
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