The Martian Brings Ridley Scott Back To Planet Hollywood

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?

The Trials of Ben Affleck

Last night, as I watched the 70th annual Golden Globes, a swell of pride came over me as Ben Affleck won not only Best Director, but also Best Motion Picture Drama for his film, Argo.  I've always liked Ben Affleck, even in his dark days when no one seemed to take him seriously and he couldn't make a good movie if Spielberg or Scorsese was directing it.  His perseverance has paid off though and now I feel he is on his way to transitioning from film star to a great film director, much like one of my favorite directors; Ron Howard.  It seemed like a very long road for Mr. Affleck to get to this point, with a lot of milestones, both good and bad.

I didn't know it at the time but I first saw Ben Affleck act when I was very young, a little film called Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Written by entertainment god, Joss Whedon, Ben played "Basketball Player #10."  I went back and watched the film, and there his was; I'll be damned.  Next I saw Ben in School Ties alongside his best friend, Matt Damon.  Ben only had a small part in the film as Damon, Brendan Fraser, and Chris O'Donnell starred.  Damn, now I want to go watch that movie.  I wonder if it's on Netflix?

Anyway, next came the films by Ben's buddy, Kevin Smith.   If you know me than I've probably made you watch Mallrats because it's one of those films that "best describes me."  Affleck played one of the film's villains who liked to have sex with women in a very uncomfortable place; but not the back of a Volkswagen.  Mallrats did not have very much critical appeal, but when Smith put Affleck to star in his next film, Chasing Amy, the film created a buzz.  Affleck played a character who was in love with a lesbian; aren't we all.  It was low budget and very "indie" but was enough to get Ben noticed.  Finally Affleck's big break came.

With the help of Smith, Affleck got green lite a film for Miramax that he wrote with his buddy, Matt Damon.  Good Will Hunting earned Matt and Ben Oscar's for Best Original Screenplay in 1998 and from there both of their career's skyrocketed.  At the time he was dating Hollywood good girl, Gwyneth Paltrow, but soon started dating Jennifer Lopez, and what happened next was the 'Bennifer' nightmare!

Damon went on to have a great career starring in film franchises like the Jason Bourne trilogy, and the Ocean's Eleven trilogy.  Affleck went on to do blockbusters like Armageddon and Pearl Harbor.  On the set of Pearl Harbor is where I assume he met is future wife, Jennifer Garner, who only had a small part in the film.  The two would later go on to star in Daredevil together, based on the Marvel comic book character.  But at the time, the two were both seeing other people.

What followed was the "dark days" of Affleck's career, at least I'm hoping.  Armageddon and Pearl Harbor were box office hits, but critical failures, as well as was Daredevil.  But watch the director's cut of Daredevil, it takes the movie from a 5 to at least an 8 out of 10.  Ben kept starring in roles that didn't seem to click with audiences like 200 Cigarettes, Bounce, Forces of Nature, Reindeer Games, Boiler Room, Changing Lanes, and The Sum of All Fears, but Ben's relationship with JLO was all the rage.  He was getting more face time in the tabloids than on screen. The two were soon engaged and it seemed like 'Bennifer' would live forever.  The couple even starred in 2 films together.  Jersey Girl was directed by his friend Kevin Smith, which Lopez was hardly in.  The other, Gigli, was rated as one of the worst films of all-time!  I enjoyed Jersey Girl, and I guess I can blame JLO for Gigli. Thankfully, 'Bennifer' ended soon after!  But by then Affleck's career was in worse shape than Josh Hartnett at the end of Pearl Harbor.  Throughout this time Affleck continued to work with his friends Damon and Smith in films such as Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back; which to me made him still seem genuine that he still liked hanging out with his old friends.

The turn around for Ben, I felt, was Hollywoodland.  Affleck played the late George Reeves, star of TV's Adventures of Superman. Ben played Reeves with a such complexity that he made it a great mystery film to watch.  Of course Diane Lane was nice to look at too.  Anyone not seen Unfaithful?  This made it seem like Affleck was ready for more serious roles, and a more serious career.  Ben went on to play an un-employed family man in The Company Men; another good role for him in a good film.  From there Ben decided to give the big chair a shot; directing. 

His first feature film, Gone Baby Gone, starred his brother Casey Affleck.  By this time he was dating Jennifer Garner, if not already married to her I think.  I like them together.  Garner isn't a sexy sultress like JLO.  She looks and seems like the girl next door, who kicked quite a bit of ass on Alias.    Then came The Town, and then Argo, and now he's winning Golden Globes for directing, and Argo is nominated for Best Picture in the 2013 Academy Awards, but Affleck is not up for Best Director.  But that's a different blog about the Oscars and how Leonardo Dicaprio is always under-appreciated by those snooty pricks.

It's been a bumpy road for dear Mr. Affleck.  Although I feel some of his films like Daredevil(director's cut) and Jersey Girl were over-scrutinized he has had a few bad apple that spoiled his film making orchard.  But a new day has dawn for him; I hope.  He's got the hot wife, the great kids, and hopefully good buds who he'll continue to work with.  I don't know if this all seems like an E! True Hollywood Story or a stalker's rant, but I'm intrigued by the maturity of Ben Affleck's career and excited to see where it'll go from here!  Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go browse Netflix.