A band of astronauts investigating the red planet soon find more than they bargained for. In space nobody can hear you scream, which is a shame as these cinema seats people are screaming for it to stop.

 

The issue is that ‘The Last Days on Mars’ starts off so well. Great set design and some high brow cinematics, setting the possible dangers of sand storms, their surroundings, even the rivalry amongst the crew. It all sets the scene for things to come… Or not.

 

Now the first problem is its own creating. How do you make zombies out of an environment that doesn’t have food? You make zombies that don’t eat people. How do you make zombies fly highly technological spacecrafts? You give them brains. How do you make zombies scary? You make their only inhuman quality to simultaneously kill the next person they see for no rule or reason. A simple solution would be to use the formula used in the 28 days films of rage, but no. These zombies are still somewhat human as can hold a conversation when needed and when they see a knife, pierce the helmet of the next human.

 

If you are going to make a zombie in space movie. Don’t forget zombie rule #1: Zombies eat people. The dead may rise and hold a disfigured face but that does not crank up the fear factor. Even a talented space crew as Lieb Schreiber and Elias Koteas can’t save a script as dull as this. For a film set in space and so many danger elements, none of this is used and an emotional ending is a welcome one from Schreiber.

 

There’s a sense of visual style that makes its content seem largely out of place. Space zombies attacking in a very clean space chamber with no edge to add to the fear. Except for one well directed scene with alarm lights flashing as the first zombies attack, otherwise, ‘The Last Days on Mars' is a flat example of how zombies in Hollywood don’t seem to hold their own.

 

The Last Days on the Sahara would be a better title. Dry, boring and nothing around of interest.