The Martian Movie Review

Released: October 2^nd 2015 (General Release)

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, Jeff Daniels, and Chiwetel Ejiofer

Runtime: 141 Minutes

Certificate: 12A

The inhospitable surface of Mars is a stunning backdrop for Ridley Scott’s newest outing, The Martian; Scott has distinguished himself as a strong contributor to science fiction and he does it again here with what can easily be considered one of his best films.

Based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir, The Martian follows the NASA crew of Ares III as they carry out a mission on Mars; but when a raging dust storm compromises the mission, Botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is left behind in the confusion. Wasting no time with exposition or side plots, The Martian flings the viewer straight into the action which cuts between Watney’s survival on Mars and NASA’s efforts to “bring him home” as the tagline states. The most surprising thing about The Martian though is that it’s a very light hearted movie; if you were expecting a bleak and serious struggle for survival along the lines of Cast Away then you’ll be just as pleasantly surprised as I was. There’s a great variety of humour mixed into just about every aspect of the film which strikes a stark contrast against the difficulty of Watley’s predicament. A great sense of progression over the film’s runtime is also present as plans come to fruition and Watley makes further progress in his efforts to stay alive. When NASA, the Ares III crew and other organisations all come together, it’s incredibly gratifying and the film’s final moments are laced with an uplifting and hopeful tone.

The characters that comprise The Martian are relatively straightforward and simple, but they interact with each other in a very natural way, something which hasn’t really been seen in Ridley Scott’s science fiction films since the 1979 film Alien. At the centre is Matt Damon, who turns in a very likeable and charismatic performance as Mark Watney; as the film goes on, his constant narrations and quips draw the audience in, cluing them in to the scientific undertones while keeping the plot moving at a steady pace. The side characters; comprised of the NASA employees on Earth and the crew of the Aeres are equally well defined. Jessica Chastain strikes a particularly good balance between her authority as the mission commander and responsibility for her fellow crew mates. The likes of Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofer and Sean Bean are also very convincing in their portrayals of Teddy Sanders, Vincent Kapoor and Mitch Henderson respectively. The characters of The Martian ultimately feel real, and that’s a more effective tool to make the audience root for them than any other.

To make its special effects more authentic and engaging, The Martian features input and contributions from NASA and it really shows; the film boasts one of the most fully featured and realised portrayals of space travel yet seen in a modern science fiction. The way the Aeres III crew operates, not to mention the methods Watley uses to produce food and stay alive seem quite plausible, creating a sense of wonder in the audience. There really isn’t a single area of the film which is lacking in terms of visuals, from the cinematography to the use of on-set filming. Wadi Rum in Jordan was used to replicate the surface of Mars and it looks incredibly believable; this is aided by the sweeping camerawork where we look across the vast and beautiful landscapes. The Martian also makes use of a varied and fitting soundtrack, with serene background tracks placed against classic disco tunes which adds to the light-hearted tone. Rounding off the package is a collection of special effects for the scenes in outer space and these boast an enormous sense of scale that can stand alongside the likes of other films in the genre such as Gravity and Interstellar.

All in all, The Martian comes together brilliantly; its refreshingly light-hearted tone, relatable characters and top notch effects make it one of the best films of the year and a solid return to form for Ridley Scott. With luck, the director will have more strong sci-fi stories in store for us for the foreseeable future.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars