‎"(Critics' Pick!) A mumblecore sci-fi movie sounds like a bad joke, but this winning, sorta-animated comedy about three goofy astronauts headed to the red planet is a lot more than that, effectively utilizing both droll comedy and visual humor..."
- Bilge Ebiri, NEW YORK MAGAZINE (12/2/2010)

"Imaginative! Like MOON before it, MARS signals an opening up of the space movie frontier to more intimate types of journeys."
- Benjamin Sutton, THE L MAGAZINE (12/1/2010)

"Marslett struck upon a unique look and tone, spacey, soothing and strange... a memorably odd, mellow affair."
- Michelle Orange, THE VILLAGE VOICE (12/1/2010)

"(Rating: ****) Fresh and vibrant! MARS isn't just visually striking, it's also full of humour, heart and super-cute cartoon Martians."
- Sarah Cohen, TIME OUT LONDON

"MARS contains many unique ingredients beyond special effects, from Marslett's endearingly offbeat vision of a snarky near future to the amusingly casual dialogue."
- Eric Kohn, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

"(Grade: A-) Its good-natured buoyancy proves hard to resist."
- Leonard Pierce, THE A.V. CLUB​

 

“MARS offers an innovative approach to making a space drama on a miniscule budget”

-Peter Simek, D MAGAZINE

 

“I am awe of writer-director Geoff Marslett also, because I cannot imagine how tedious and painstaking the rotoscoping must have been on Mars. All I can say is that his efforts paid off.”

-Don Simpson, SMELLS LIKE SCREEN SPIRIT

 

“Chances are, if you've seen a film by Austin independent filmmaker Geoff Marslett, you have not seen anything like it before. And if you've never seen any of his films, you are in for a surprise.”

-Pierre Bertrand, AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN (2/3/2011)

 

“It’s a visually stunning piece told in the playful style of a graphic novel using a unique animation process that Marslett developed specifically for the film.”

-Robyn Chelsea-Seifert, SAN FANCISCO EXAMINER (1/29/2011)

 

 

“I showed up for the screening a few minutes late, rushed off my feet and stressed out and walked out with a smile on my face. My friends and I found ourselves raving about the movie for the rest of the day.”

Jose Garcia, MEME THERAPY (10/26/2010)

 

“Maintaining an amiable and innocently awed tone”

-Jeanette Catsoulis, NEW YORK TIMES (12/2/2010)

 

“Perhaps the most unique feature was Geoff Marslett’s MARS.”

-Thomas Britt, POP MATTERS (10/21/2010)

 

“After finishing its orbit around the fest circuit, "Mars" should land in arthouse venues, and may achieve minor cult status on ancillary.”

Leslie Felperin, VARIETY (10/28/2010)

 

“What makes Mars so much fun is the cheery, upbeat tone. Marslett developed his own rotoscoping technique to create a comic book feel full of primary colours as well as some straightforward animation amongst a lot of green screen work. A consistently funny script and likeable performances not only from the leads but the whole supporting cast”

-Justin Bateman, SCREEN JABBER

 

“One movie I'm certain will be among the weekend's best is the slacker science-fiction/love-story mini-epic, "Mars"; I feel even more confident in stating that this is the first cut-price space-exploration feature ever produced in Austin, Texas.”

-John Beifuss, THE BLOODSHOT EYE (10/22/2010)

 

“If you have a penchant for something quirky and different, Mars stands out as a non-traditional animated feature that combines elements of slacker comedies, science fiction and romance in a way few films can manage.”

-Tim Irwin, TRULY MOVING PICTURES

 

“the classic themes of love, romance, and exploration alongside the modern desire to experience the depths of the cosmos. All of these superficially unrelated things are woven together with surprising effortlessness in Marslett's newest animated feature, Mars.”

-Belinda Acosta, AUSTIN CHRONICLE (3/12/2010)

 

“The film has a meditative, melancholy quality. It’s a science fiction film set in the near future, but there aren’t any explosions or intricate action sequences. It’s a love story at its heart, more mindful affection than mind-blowing effects.”

-Michael Calore, WIRED (3/22/2010)

 

(***) “Take a few minutes after watching the film to talk it over with some friends.  It’s one of those rare flicks that means a lot, but doesn’t feel pretentious.  I felt like that as I was exploring the cosmos, I was also exploring previously uncharted territory with the main characters.  Progression like that deserves some attention.”

-FILMBAYLAYA, San Francisco (2/12/2011)