Gute Nacht, Oppy

Greetings again from the darkness. "Check out the brain on Brad!" There may or may not have been a 'Brad' on the NASA team we follow in Ryan White's documentary, however Samuel L Jackson's famous line from PULP FICTION certainly holds true for the rest of the team that helped execute the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission. A brief overview outlines the attempts to gain approval, followed by the design and planning and testing to ensure the window for launch was met. See, the launch was scheduled according to a planetary alignment that only occurs every 26 months. A late arrival would have been costly, and possibly ended the program before it really started.

The mission was to send a rover to Mars and have it procure samples from around the red planet in hopes of finding evidence of water, which would likely mean proof of past life. We see some of the design stage as the engineers note the human characteristics, though most movie fans will immediately notice physical similarities to WALL-E. The team created two "twin" robotic rovers named "Spirit" and "Opportunity". The expectation was that each would have a 90-day lifespan and send scientifically significant data back. The race was on to meet the launch date in 2003, and the two rovers were launched three weeks apart - and to different areas of the planet.

After the 6-and-a-half-month flight time to travel 300 million miles, the two rovers were successfully landed, which only kicked off some of the challenges back on Earth in mission control. It's here, and with the numerous interviews of team members, that we really get a sense of the emotions running through these folks who had invested so much time and energy into making the mission a reality. Computer engineered reenactments (stunning work from Industrial Light & Magic) help us visualize what happened on Mars, while the archival footage from inside the NASA control room conveys the palpable tension as they helplessly wait for the next signal to arrive.

Although Mr. White's documentary centers on scientific achievement, much of the focus lands on the human element. We are there to witness first the relief, and then the jubilation as that first signal from Mars is received. Scientists, designers, engineers, and drivers all experience the rollercoaster of emotions driven by the intense camaraderie and teamwork involved. Should you ever doubt whether the smartest people on the planet experience human emotions, you need only look at the faces as daily 'wake-up songs' are played, including "Roam" by the B-52s, "SOS" by Abba, "Born to be Wild" by Steppenwolf. Additionally, after the 90-day window has closed, the annual "cocktail napkin" records each team members prediction about rover survival over the coming year.

Emotions and accomplishments go hand in hand for these NASA types, as do the challenges presented by harsh winters and dust storms that put west Texas to shame. It's remarkable that Spirit lasted more than 7 years, and Oppy (the "lucky rover") went for 15, before finally being shut down while Billie Holiday sang "I'll be Seeing You." Wisely, director White ends on a high not with the 2020 launch of the new rover, Perseverance. What an inspiring trip this is.

Opens in US theaters on November 4, 2022 and on Prime Video November 23.

What a beautifully done documentary. I'm old enough to remember the promise of the 21st century that was popularized in the 1960s. To say that this century so far has been disappointing is an understatement. Following current events can be disheartening.

Then I watch something like this and I am reminded that there are people in the world who are still working on that promise my 6th grade science teacher made about how exciting space exploration would be in "the future." These are the people who are keeping that hopefulness alive and I am grateful for them.

This film is made in that spirit of my 6th grade teacher. It isn't highly technical and doesn't seek to teach the technical or science behind the mission. Instead, it is inspirational and enlightening because it reminds us that it really isn't robots exploring other worlds, but human beings who are dedicated to something that will make a mark on the future.

Humans are on Mars and they are exploring another planet.

We all make ripples in our worlds that go further and last longer than our short lives on earth. These dedicated engineers and scientists are remarkable and their ripples will be felt by generations to come even if no one knows or remembers their names. The knowledge they acquire will outlive them. I think that is what makes a human life meaningful. This film will help expand that meaning. I highly recommend this film to anyone who cares about those higher aspirations.

I have given this documentary a 9 - i have not yet read other reviews but I will after this.

I really enjoyed this original/actual and compelling story of these two Mara Rovers built to last 90 days but fed back info for up to 15 years.

Its daft perhaps to think anyone could be emotionally attached to an inanimate object made by man - but you know what? They weren't inanimate at all - they really were the children of their creators and the emotion the team back on earth had for them was also felt by me - a simple viewer in UK.

The comparisons made between these machines and people made the real life connection between man and machine seem very very real (and it was!)

Excellent - thank you.

I've known its 14 years of duty, and how its mission and live had ended on Mars. But seeing it on a docu-film like this broke my heart. :( Her 92-day tenure and overcoming it, serving for 14 years... just wow! And at the end, saying goodbye to her breaks our hearts. It kinda has the soul of Wall-E, so if you're familiar with the Pixar-type of storytelling, you'll love this film. Unarguably one of the best productions of Amazon Prime Video of 2022! If you're a space enthusiast and curious about Mars, you should definitely see this film. Maybe one day, they'll make her story an animation film, who knows... :)

Goodnight Oppy, by Ryan White is a documentary that brings both excitement and curiosity. I loved learning about how the scientists related to Opportunity, nicknamed Oppy, almost as if she/it was their child. I also loved that, no matter what went wrong, they always never gave up and always thought she would go on. And she did! She outlived her life expectancy by 150 months!

The inspirational true story follows Opportunity, the veteran interplanetary Mars Exploration Rover, affectionately dubbed Oppy by her creators and scientists at NASA. Oppy was originally expected to live for only 90 days but ultimately explored Mars for nearly 15 years. The film follows Oppy's groundbreaking journey on Mars and the remarkable bond forged between a robot and her humans millions of miles away.

Exploring the last 15 years of interplanetary exploration with Opportunity and her twin sister is so interesting. Opportunity and Spirit were identical twins, both 5'2" tall, with human like eyes. I love how the humans associated with them thought of them almost as their children. It takes a long 6 months to get to Mars from Earth. Spirit was launched on July 7, 2003 and Opportunity followed three weeks after that date. I found I it fascinating how, no matter what happened to the rovers, the scientists kept believing that they would work again. My favorite part of their day was the wake up song! It is amazing how Opportunity and Spirit could respond and think for themselves. I enjoyed watching their journey exploring Mars and all the photos they sent back. What stands out most in this documentary is how everyone keeps believing in the two rovers; they never give up.

This inspiring documentary reveals the discoveries that these two rovers gave us about Mars. The film helps audiences understand the incredible amount of work that the scientists and the robots' creators put in to achieve the accomplishments of these two robots. They gave us so much information we never had previously.

I give Goodnight Oppy 5 out of 5 stars from me and I recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It is available now on Amazon Prime. By Sariah R., KIDS FIRST!