The Martian
pits Matt Damon against the inhospitable atmosphere and elements of the fourth
planet, Mars. Left behind after a highly
improbable storm forces his team to leave the planet, Damon’s character must
learn to adapt and use what has been left behind to help him survive until
people come back to the red planet and he can be rescued. He has his wits, his poo, and a collection of
70s disco music. Will it work?
And considering Ridley Scott’s recent efforts, does the
film work?
The answer to the second question (as I don’t want to
give spoilers for the first) is a resounding yes.
With Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristin Wiig,
Sean Bean and a whole raft of other people with familiar faces on board, he has
the cast to help him pull this off. The
effects are likewise extraordinary, and the script and story are both
compelling.
Most important of these of course is Damon, carrying the
bulk of the film on his broad shoulders.
He has played a man marooned on a distant planet before in Interstellar, but this time he is not a
dick. His character, Watney, is engaging, funny,
and competent and completely empathetic to the audience. Likewise, those in Mission Control and
various other locations are serious and seem totally plausible, the odd moment
of levity just adding to making the film feel plausible for science
fiction.
There’s not too much more to say about it really. The film looks amazing on the big screen and
while some of the actions taken to try and get The Martian back and home don’t
really seem to make a huge amount of sense (what was that with the directional
glove again?), there are enough scenes and sections based on quasi-fact to make
the film mostly believable. And through
it all, Damon keeps things on track and enjoyable, even if he does not have a
volleyball (a la Castaway) to keep
him company.
Verdict: The Martian is a great, entertaining and
engrossing movie, full of fine performances, great effects, and a superior
script. Totally enjoyable and totally
worth seeing on the big screen. Yes, I
liked t! 9.5 Mars Bars out of 10.
