The Martian (2015) Review

Ridley Scott's The Martian (2015) is an action-filled Sci-Fi adventure following Astronaut Mark Watney's seemingly impossible journey to return to Earth, after a fierce storm leaves him presumed dead by his crew and stranded on Mars.

The Martian (2015) Review

Starring Matt Damon as the film's Astronaut/botanist protagonist, his character Watney must learn and adapt to survive on Mars, with limited supplies and above being stranded alone. The film emphasises human spirit which is personified with Watney's character, through documenting his time on Mars talking to the multitude of Go Pro cameras situated around the base, connecting Watney's humorous and likeable character with the audience directly as he goes about figuring out how to survive on Mars in the long-term: "In the face of overwhelming odds, I'm left with only one option, I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this." Watney's direct mode of address to the audience makes you feel connected to the narrative and generally empathetic towards the character, both in terms of when something goes wrong and when he achieves. The use of Go Pros and security cameras places the audience into a 'Big Brother' perspective, as we watch Watney live out his daily life on Mars from unconventional and unique angles.

Matt Damon's excellent performance as 'The Martian' who makes his character funny, humorous and likeable with one liners that make you forget the daunting situation of being stranded on Mars: "I don't want to come off as arrogant here, but I'm the greatest botanist on this planet." The Martian manages to combine the science and technicalities of NASA and light fun together, which makes watching Matt Damon's character an enjoyable experience. At times Watney's confidence with science keeping him alive makes you wonder how his character doesn't breakdown psychologically during the film and how he copes with the serve isolationism you would experience in his situation. Unlike in Damon's previous acting role in Interstellar (2014), The Martian isn't a serious Sci-Fi film for the most part. Even the interaction between the characters working for NASA comes across as being light hearted on screen, while at the same time dealing with the unprecedented problem of trying to rescue Watney from Mars. Personally I found this approach to the screenplay by Drew Goddard towards the film refreshing and appealing in terms of story to audiences.

The Martian is a visually gorgeous film to watch, with use of huge open locations and vast landscapes which portray subtly Watney's loneliness and detachment during the film. The film in parts will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Jessica Chastain as Commander Melissa Lewis' painful decision to leave Watney on Mars is an example of such scene which builds up tension and anxiety for the audience effectively. My only improvement was at times the pace of the film seemed to lag and become slow, however I can reconsign the film's attempt to portray the length of time being trapped on Mars while NASA attempts to bring Watney him home. Overall The Martian is an excellent, funny and refreshing Sci-Fi adventure which will have you feeling nervous watching from NASA headquarters to being blown away by the visual effects of space and the planet of Mars, with human spirit, determination and hope at its heart.

The Martian is available to pre-order on DVD, Blu-Ray and 3D Ultraviolet.

Discover more about The Martian: http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/the-martian

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