The Martian: Movie Review
Ridley Scott’s man-on-mars epic, “The Martian” is an absolute wonder to behold. Although the filmmaker has helmed many great films over the years (and some not so great), I feel “The Martian” could very well be his best work since 1979’s “Alien”. I am sure “Blade Runner” fans might disagree.
During a manned mission on Mars, Astronaut/botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) finds himself stranded on the lifeless planet after his crew presumed he was killed during a fierce storm. Mission captain Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) and the rest of the crew (played by Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, and Aksel Hennie) head back to Earth, not knowing Mark is still alive. When NASA realizes Mark’s situation, Director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) decides not to inform the crew.
Most of “The Martian” focuses on Watney trying to come up with ways to grow food on a planet that cannot sustain life. With the ability to “science the sh*t” out of things, he was able to figure out a way to grow potatoes within the HAB using human waste and the planet’s dirt. Food wasn’t the only problem Watney needed to solve, he had to find a way to communicate with NASA and figure out a way to travel a long distance on the rover without running out of battery or freezing to death.
The story cuts back and forth from Watney on Mars to his crew on the ship and back on Earth where Mitch Henderson (Sean Bean), Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and Annie Montrose (Kristen Wiig) needed to come up with options to rescue the stranded astronaut. However, “The Martian” is at its best when centered on Watney, who is constantly trying to figure out ways to prolong his survival. Damon, who is always good really knocks it out of the park here.
“The Martian” is a great science fiction film and a big part of that is due to the screenplay by Dew Goddard (“The Cabin in the Woods”). Visually, the film is remarkable and should definitely be seen in 3D to take in the vast Mars landscapes and thrilling space sequences. “The Martian” is definitely worth getting stranded with.
By: Marc Ferman
