The Martian: Movie Review


When a movie claims that they are "gonna science the shit out of this", we won't fault you for assuming that it is going to be a boring slog through calculations, formulas and material that will hurt your cranium. Basically, Neil deGrasse Tyson would love it, most would probably hate it. But lo and behold, "The Martian" did science the shit out of things and boy did the film do it so well. With superb acting, a gripping story and MacGyver-esque mad skills, "The Martian" is Ridley Scott's best film in years.

Mark Watney (Matt Damon), is on part of the Ares III crew - a manned mission on Mars. When a huge storm suddenly hits their base, the team decides to leave the planet immediately. But Watney is hit by debris and presumed dead and left behind on Mars. Now, Watney must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to survive on the hostile planet while waiting for a rescue mission which he estimates should arrive in the next four years.

If you're old enough to remember "Apollo 13", one of our favorite moments in the film is when they had to figure out how to force a square peg into a round hole. It had that unique tension that only the helplessness of the vastness space can convey. "The Martian" plays on that tension all throughout its whole run time as its lead character, isolated in Mars, figures out how to survive with limited supplies and little or no communication to Earth. It is the perfect experience that tickles the human spirit of determination, hope and ingenuity. Now what Ridley Scott and the cast of "The Martian" achieved is obviously not easy. Without a great and gripping actor at the helm, how would we be able to stand seeing one actor on screen for most of its running time on a desolate planet? Without a well-balanced script mixed with technical jargon, hardcore science, wit and humor, how could we have been as interested as what was being explained on screen? Without astounding visuals of space and Mars, how could we consume what Mark Watney (and the people involved with him) was feeling and thinking? It is magical how a work of fiction could play with your core human emotions, making it feel all so real and tangible. This is how "The Martian" was for us and this is why it was a damn great film to dive in.

Rating: 5 reels





Why you should watch it:
- well balanced film that puts science, wit and humor so well in one neat package
- touches the human spirit within

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- there's really no reason not to watch "The Martian"

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