The Mars rovers may look a bit like Wall-E, but their behavior is strictly original.
In “Good Night Oppy,†a documentary about the two machines sent to the red planet, we get a sense of their determination to see the mission through. Likely to fail several times throughout the decade-plus they were employed, they pressed on and figured out ways to preserve their energy, even when the scientists and engineers behind them were at a loss.
Coming in after their mission had ended, director Ryan White had a massive amount of material to wade through. He took a chronological approach and showed how every day managed to surprise the men and women who made the mission go. When those folks talk about what it meant to them, you can see why space exploration is so vital.
Looking a bit like “Wall-E,†the animated rover who loved “Hello, Dolly!â€, Spirit and Opportunity (the names given the rovers) had their own hit list, waking up each day to a series of pop songs that commented on the work at hand. How those songs were chosen (and what they meant) help humanize the rovers and make this more than scientists watching screens.
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White digs into the backgrounds of the mission’s operators and shows what success meant to them. It’s amazing how inspirational the rovers were and how important they were in discovering if Mars could sustain visitors in years to come.
Because he uses effects footage (recreating the mission), White gives viewers front-row seats to what the team discovered. Thanks to the rovers’ transmissions, experts at Industrial Light and Magic were able to provide the most accurate look yet at Mars.
While it took 15 years to get those photos (and a selfie), “Good Night Oppy†is an effective way of making scientific ventures appealing to folks of all ages. There’s the simple story of a machine dutifully working and the more complex tale of making sure the bells and whistles do what they should.
When the mission operators are surprised at what the rovers can do (particularly during a dust storm), “Good Night Oppy†becomes a TED talk with music.
Actress Angela Bassett narrates the film with warmth; Blake Neely provides a score that helps viewers boldly go into the worlds they never knew.
Strange as it may seem, “Good Night Oppy†prompts tears and an ending that suggests sometimes the good guys win, too.