Three astronauts, Charles (James Brolin), Peter (Sam Waterson), and John (O.J. Simpson), are preparing for the first manned mission to Mars when they're removed by NASA's Mars mission director (Hal Holbrook) only minutes before liftoff. Taken to an old military base, the astronauts are told that they'll have to fake the landing. Sure enough, there's a soundstage with plenty of red sand and a lunar module ready for the shot. Deciding that it's better to go along with the hoax that ruin NASA, the astronauts shoot not only the landing but play their part in faking the entire journey including their time spent in transit. All goes well until the unmanned capsule burns up on reentry. Now, what's NASA going to do with three astronauts who should be dead?
The film starts with a bang and in our current climate of rampant conspiracy-theorizing (what with all the 9/11 debunking docs and books) and concerns about government deception or ineptitude (the Iraq War), the anxious provocation of Capricorn One remains startlingly effective. Sadly, the film loses much of that nervous momentum when Elliot Gould is introduced as a cynical reporter (were there any unquestioning reporters in the '70s?) who stumbles upon the conspiracy and sets to blow the lid off it. His investigation is interesting but clunky, and the back half of the film quickly devolves into an extended chase with the astronauts running for civilization (and avoiding rattlesnakes and NASA goons) and Gould racing to get the story to print before he meets an 'accidental' demise.
Capricorn One has a great premise. It's not only deliriously obsessed (and gleefully paranoid), it's cleverly scripted by director Peter Hyams. Crackling one-liners and nuanced dialog abound. The film looks good too. Director of photography Bill Butler captures the action set pieces dynamically and brings the desert-set scenes to sun-scorched life. (I've seen Capricorn One used as a DVD demonstration film at a number of home theatre stores.) On the downside, after the landing is faked, the fun dissipates quickly. NASA also gets unfairly reamed here. It's hard to paint an under-funded agency run by, let's face it, astrophysics nerds as a real threat.
This was Hyams' first foray into science fiction (he would follow this film with the underrated Outland and 2010). Capricorn One remains something of a cult film beloved by conspiracy theorists and those with a Fortean bent. While ultimately disappointing, the outrageousness of the premise (and the skill with which it's carried out in the first half) is enough to place it in the pantheon of paranoia. Get ready for the remake in 2010.
The DVD includes a commentary track from Hyams and a making-of featurette.
