Ridley Scott has been a black sheep in Hollywood for the past few years. His Robin Hood film with Russell Crowe was not well received. Exodus: Gods and Monsters was a dud, and many people didn't like his Alien prequel; Prometheus. Though I was not in that crowd on Prometheus. But with good responses to his latest film, The Martian, it appears Mr. Scott may be out of the proverbial dog house.
Matt Damon is astronaut Mark Watney. He and his crew were investigating the red planet of Mars when a storm forced them to evacuate. But an accident left Mark behind, and his friends believing he was dead. Now Mark must survive several years on this harsh planet until the next mission arrives. But he only has food to last a month. While Mark is trying to figure out ways to make water and food NASA is back on Earth trying to figure out how to bring him home. Should they send a supply probe, a new manned mission, or tell his fellow crew mates to risk their lives and go back for him? And will he even still be alive if they do?
Let me start out by saying I think the trailer for this film gave too much away. His crew mates don't even know Mark was alive till halfway through the film, and by then I knew they were going to go back for him because it was in the trailer. However, the finale did leave me second guessing if the film was going to end like I thought it would. I won't tell you what I thought; but I was right. Because of the trailer I never felt the full stakes of the movie compared to if I had just went it blind.
The film is playing in 3D and IMAX screens, but like most movie, I saw it in regular 2D. I'm not a fan of 3D and believe their are few films that are worth it. I'm not sure about 3D, but The Martian would have been awesome to see in IMAX. The Mars scenery is beautiful to look at and seeing that terrain on an even bigger screen I'm sure would have enhanced the experience of the film.
Damon does a great job of playing the sole inhabitant on a vacant planet. He constantly talks into video logs so it's not like Castaway where a lot of the film is silent. I'm curious if Damon actually lost all that weight his character had shed towards the end of the film? I hadn't heard anything about it so I'm guessing it was a CGI/stunt double effort.
The Martian also includes a great supporting cast like Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Michael Pena, Sean Bean, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The Winter Soldier(Sebastian Stan) and the Invisible Woman(Kate Mara) are also along for this adventure. These thespians help drive the story, and the stakes, as they race to save Damon's character in time.
While I wouldn't consider this a phenomenal film, I do think it is one of the better ones I've seen this year. I recommend if you want to see it that you see in theaters; and maybe even IMAX. Scott pulls off a story about the human condition and our remarkable ability to survive. With a few jokes and a lot of heart, The Martian is a good start to what is now referred too as "Oscar Season."
RATING: B
All the posters I looked online for said "November." I didn't sleep through October did I?
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