Bringing him home is one of the hardest parts but so is surviving on a planet alone with absolutely nothing but potatoes.
The Martian, based off a 2011 novel written by Andy Weir, was released in theaters on October 2, 2015. The film has grossed over 627 million dollars worldwide, becoming Director Ridley Scott’s highest-grossing film, as well as the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2015. It has received several awards and nominations, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay for Drew Goddard. Rated PG-13 (for some strong language, injury images, and brief nudity).
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is assumed dead after a sudden and violent dust storm and left behind by his crew which includes Mission Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), Beth Johanssen (Kate Mara), Major Rick Martinez (Michael Pena), Chris Beck (Sebastian Stan) and Alex Vogel (Aksel Hennie). But little does the crew and The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) know that Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the red planet. With only limited amount of supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to survive and find a way to signal to Earth that he is in fact alive. 140 million of miles away, NASA’s employees (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, Benedict Wong, Mackenzie Davis, and Donald Glover) and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring Watney home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a brave but possibly impossible rescue mission.
With a two hour and fourteen minute run time, this film is filled with exhilarating adventures in space, science and laughter.
Scott certainly knows how to cast the perfect cast. With Damon, Chastain and many others, working towards a certain goal of perfection, the result is a success.
The scenes in which Watney was on Mars were absolutely extraordinary. They were full of “annoying disco music” as Watney said throughout the film, Watney’s fight for survival and lots of video journals, which made you feel like you were actually on Mars, trying to survive with Watney and learning what it’s like to be stranded on Mars. With cinematography by Dariusz Wolski, this film captured everything and more.
Although this film has some comedic elements, it will have the viewers on the edge of their seats due to all the surprises and plot twists it throws at you and the characters. Including a scene in which one minute Watney is joking with his crew and minutes later he’s been hooked like a fish by a flying metal satellite that knocks him out and ‘kills’ him.
By the end of the film, the real world and the Hollywood world came together to root for Watney’s safe return. Rotten Tomatoes critics gave The Martian a 92% of positives reviews, making a total of 263 fresh reviews and 24 rotten reviews. Overall, The Martian was a great adventure for Watney and the viewers. It is definitely considered a must see movie.
