Oh, what a night! (CREDIT: Prime Video)

Starring: The Spirit and Opportunity Rovers

Director: Ryan White

Running Time: 105 Minutes

Rating: PG for The End of a Technological Life Cycle

Release Date: November 4, 2022 (Theaters)/November 23, 2022 (Amazon Prime Video)

What’s It About?: It’s the early 21st century, so you know what that means: it’s time to explore Mars! Twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity lifted off from Earth in the summer of 2003, with both arriving on the red planet in January 2004. The latter, known affectionately as “Oppy,” was the second arrival, but he’s the star of the show here. Obviously the best view of this journey would have been hitching a ride with Oppy, but he wasn’t taking any passengers. So the next best option would have been keeping an eye on the action at NASA’s mission control. But the time has passed for that, of course, so for those of us who aren’t aerospace engineers, we can get caught up with all the action via a documentary on the big screen. And that’s what brings us to Good Night Oppy.

What Made an Impression?: If you’re a fan of space travel and unlocking the secrets of the universe, you’ll find plenty to geek out over in Good Night Oppy. Or if you’re a youngster, maybe this will be the formative moment to unlock a lifelong passion. But for those of us with a more passing interest, there isn’t a ton here in the way of shocking revelations. The possibility of life on Mars is a story that occasionally makes its way to the nightly news, after all. But this is still a winning experience, thanks to the unbridled enthusiasm of everyone on NASA’s rover teams. Vicariously soaking up their excitement is the major appeal here.

Good Night Oppy is Recommended If You Are: A NASA Employee or an Aspiring NASA Employee

Grade: 3 out of 5 Rovers