The Martian Review

2015 in film

Sep 24

Written By Rendy Jones

Preview

PG13: Strong Language, Injury Images, and Brief Nudity

20th Century Fox, TSG Entertainment, Scott Free

2 hrs and 21 Minutes

Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean, Kristen Wiig, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Donald Glover, Benedict Wong, Askel Hennie, with Naomi Scott, and Mackenzie Davis

Editor’s Note: This review was originally published during my adolescence. Outdated language might be seen in these old posts. Since then, my thoughts and values have grown. This review is being presented as they were originally written, grammatical errors, shitty sentence structure, and typos galore. Because to do otherwise would be that same as claiming these flaws never existed.

BACKSTORY: Wednesday September 23rd I go to a screening of The Martian. Pretty much it.

STORYLINE: During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut/Botanist Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring "the Martian" home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible, rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney's safe return.

REVIEW: I am certain that 2015 has been the perfect year for comebacks. We had the comeback of Melissa McCarthy, Johnny Depp, George Miller and now Director Ridley Scott. Last year America was pissed at the non-epic, racially miscasted, and offensively written bullshit that was Exodus. It was personally the most boring and anti climatic film I've seen last year. Just like Miller with Mad Max, Ridley Scott finally gets his shit together with a brilliant directed with great visuals and style. Based on the novel with the same name by Andy Weir, The Martian is basically Cast Away in SPAAAAACE! There are a lot of different characters in this, but Matt Damon is the one helming this film with his own two hands. We get attached Watney because he is our avatar of our feelings if we were ever stranded on Mars, but he is magnificently skilled and is a perfect strategist. His character is memorable thanks to Drew Goddard (showrunner of Daredevil) whose screenplay gives Damon the best lines that will definitely become quotable by the end of the year. What makes the Martian works as an amazing film is that every character is written to achieve one goal: Get Mark Watney back from Mars. The film is simple on both planets. There is no villain, no characters looking out for themselves. The only conflict within the film is timing and budget to conduct this rescue mission. The visuals of Mars is fantastic with nothing but gusty red dirt during the morning Sols and the chilly tundra during the nightly Sols. The entire planet is dangerous and the scientific deconstruction of surviving in it is so concise. The film introduces a tremendous amount of characters that we don't get to know that well. Some characters are serious, then others are there just to be there, and then you get the ones that are downright cartoons *cough* Donald Glover *cough* . The film is consistent in tone and full of heart but lacks a consistent set of characters. The film is long but when it leads to the huge payoff, its definitely worth it.

3D: The 3D is used in good effect for the sequences on both planets and space, but yet it feels incomplete. You have the visual effects popping out at times and is amazing in depth within the screen. The major problem with the 3D is that at times the outline of the characters' body is positioned more than halfway on their actual body. There are times you get1 and a 1/2 Matt Damons without the glasses taken off. The entire last act in 3D is in full force where it goes full on Gravity in both 3D optical view and film execution. If you really want to go the extra bucks go ahead, but preferably 2D is a much better fit.

LAST STATEMENT: With Matt Damon and Ridley Scott being both captains of the spaceship, The Martian is an amazing space epic that is genius, full of heart, and has masterful visual effects from beginning to end.