This review was made possible by an advance screening of the subbed version of Mars Express. Mars Express releases in theaters on May 3, 2024.
AI, also known as artificial intelligence, continues to become more prevalent in our lives. It is a subject that has always been touched on in the media, but in the year 2024, we seem to be getting closer to a reality that once seemed like fiction, as AI improves year after year, making it hard to tell what is AI and what isn’t. It’s only a matter of time before we start walking the streets with Androids, sharing our jobs with them, forming relationships, and much more. We saw this get tackled last year with The Creator, but Mars Express handles the situation with care, realism, and well-written characters, with humans taking most of the screentime but Androids being the main focus.
Mars Express tells the story of Aline Ruby (Léa Drucker) and Carlos Rivera (Daniel Njo Lobé), two private investigators during the 23rd century on Mars, as they investigate a murder case connected to the recent jailbreaking of Androids, which is seen as illegal in this world.
The film does well with its world-building and character-building, as it starts very calmly before getting unpredictably chaotic. We use jailbreaking to allow us more freedom with our phones, tablets, or video game consoles; it works the same way in the world of Mars Express. Jailbreaking allows the Androids to have free will and bypass the cyber laws. This is a predominant plot device that fits very well into the story’s ending.
Aline is the main human that we follow, and the easiest way to differentiate between a human and an Android is sometimes through their very obvious robotic looks or the backups with their floating heads, but humans have red blood while Androids have blue blood, or whatever component it may be. From the jump, we’re told that she has been going to AA meetings as the mini fridge stops her from being able to access any alcohol, and the film touches on her addictions to alcohol and the struggle of wanting to go back, relapsing, and relying on a substance to take you through hard times. The story seems like it may never have time to touch on these moments with the mystery unravelling itself, but it manages to make time for it and not rush her trouble with alcoholism at all.
While Aline may seem like the main character, as the movie goes on, you start to realise that her partner in crime, Carlos, is the true protagonist of the film. His story is a tragic one; having passed away five years prior to the film’s start, his relationship with his wife has deteriorated, making it almost impossible to see his daughter as she’s now in a new relationship and has moved on. The film is gritty in nature and quite more violent than I expected, showcasing the hardships that people go through and what it leads them to do for the sake of survival. It’s a dark and gloomy message that this film provides, but one that’s still relevant whether we have Androids or not.
Some of the best sci-fi films that explore AI are Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell. Mars Express shares some themes with both of these films, and director Jérémie Périn has stated both of these as inspirations for him. Ideally, it’s a smart thing to use these as inspirations, as sci-fi films usually struggle with tackling AI in a new light, but Mars Express manages to do it almost perfectly. Though it does tread some ground that has been touched before and at times can seem like it’s being repetitive, Jérémie Périn provides us with a fresh look at the scenario and uses animation to his advantage to tell this story, which is made very simple for anyone to follow along with – but it does seem like a film where you’ll have a better understanding or a whole new understanding of the film on a second watch.
The animation and the music for this film are outstanding, and it’s hard to choose a highlight for this film with the masterful writing it has for its world-building. The choice of animation to tell such a grand and spectacular story as this, is a smart one. While possibly doable in live action as it’s a noir story, it’s logical to make it animation in today’s economic state, which allows for their imagination to have no limits or walls they would hit if this were a big film they were doing for Hollywood. The animation is unique and provides an almost realistic look for all the characters in the film and its setting. The film is majorly dark with its tone, but knows when to throw in some good and well-timed comedic relief, and even then, it doesn’t look like the animation is ever out of place. The music also nicely fits into this cyberpunk world with its upbeat techno music, which Fred Avril and Philippe Monthaye orchestrate.
‘Mars Express’ – Final Thoughts
Mars Express is filled with well-defined world-building and a sci-fi concept that’s complex but is made quite easy to follow, and though this film is set in the 23rd century, it feels very grounded in its drama and close to home. The animation is beautiful and fitting for the mystery thriller that’s being told. The story is centered around AI jailbreaking, but Aline and Carlos, who are fleshed-out characters, make this story feel human and relatable – something that a lot of AI-focused sci-fi fails to do. Last year, The Creator wanted to be this big sci-fi film tackling “harsh reality” and living in co-existence with Androids, but it seems like Mars Express does a better job than they ever could’ve imagined doing. Mars Express can easily be seen as among some of the greatest films in sci-fi.
Mars Express releases in theaters on May 3, 2024. Check out the trailer below.
