Space Pirate

The Martian

Travel to Mars is within reach for many space programs around the world. The race to Mars has ignited feels of nostalgia of the race to the Moon of the sixties. NASA is doing everything they can to find a way of putting an American on the planet Mars before anyone else. Of course this is only true for real life and I live in a world of movies. In film, we have been to Mars and back but Mars has never been depicted as it is in 20^th Century Fox’s newest adventure., The Martian.

In the not too distant future, travel by NASA to Mars is in it’s infancy. The Ares III crew has been gathering data for 18 days of a 31 day trip. But when a storm threatens the safety of the crew and their equipment, Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain Crimson Peak) is forced to make the difficult decision to abort the mission and get off Mars quickly. During the chaos of the evacuation botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon The Monuments Men) is struck by debris blowing around in the storm. Lewis valiantly tries to find Watney amongst the storm, but to no avail and escapes the planet with the rest of her crew. By sheer luck, Watney survives the storm but is faced with new challenges like how to survive on an inhabitable planet. Considered dead by his crewmates and the rest of the world, Watney must also find a way to get home.

Well everyone, this is Ridley Scott at his finest. This is a very intriguing movie that simplifies the science behind it to a point that it is overly basic. I think that is one of the best things about this film. The science of this movie is explained in a way that makes it easy to follow, but not so much that the film insinuates that audiences are idiots. I think what is even more amazing about this film is that it is so believable. Deeply rooted in the science fiction/adventure genres however, this film is told in a way that makes it so plausible .

At the head of that palpability is Damon’s performance. Like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, Damon spends a good chunk of this movie all by himself and talking to…yes, himself. Damon’s Watney is a very likeable and charming protagonist.  I wouldn’t consider this Damon’s best role, but I think this should rank amongst the best. The rest of the cast is an all-star ensemble but not really in the film long enough to make a mark. They all do their best with the scenes they are in so there are no weak links among this cast but we all know this film revolves around what Damon does on screen.

The Martian is another superb outing by one of my favorite directors Ridley Scott (Exodus: Gods and Kings). Scott infuses so much into this film that he makes it very hard not to appreciate this film. The humor and the suspense of the film are intertwined so perfectly.  The man vs. nature aspect of the film is forefront obviously, but what makes this film great as well is the man vs. himself element as well.  This isn’t focused on Damon but on Chastain’s character as well. In many ways this is quite a complete film that will be appreciated for years to come.

Giving another wonderful performance, Matt Damon becomes a stranded astronaut that makes it a no brainer to cheer for and to cry for. The Martian is a great film for everyone and I challenge anyone to not find this film enjoyable from every aspect.

The Verdict: Worth Your Time.