During a manned mission to Mars, Mark Watney, a NASA Astronaut, is presumed dead after a massive sandstorm descends upon the crew. Escaping the storm, Mark's crew assumes he was killed in the chaos, but he survives. Stranded on Mars, alone, and having to fend for himself, Mark must rely on his ingenuity and experience as a astronaut and botanist to not only survive but figure out a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Ridley Scott's The Martian is a well-executed, perfectly adequate sci-fi survival film that relies heavily on the charismatic lead performance of Matt Damon to remain engaging and entertaining from start to finish. One of the main things that stand out about The Martian is just how thoroughly entertaining and comedic the film is, with Matt Damon delivering a charming lead performance that demands not only empathy from the viewer but also delivers a host of laughs. While this approach keeps the film very entertaining and never too dark, I'd argue it does at times become a detriment to the film, as the psychological impact of a man being alone for years becomes a missed opportunity. The toll isolation has on the human psyche is more talked about than shown throughout the film, and while the stakes are still certainly felt, I couldn't help but want to see a little more of the psychological toll on Mark Watney. That being said, Damon's performance still manages to be the glue that holds this film together, capturing how a desperate man can still find the humor in a terrible situation, delivering a performance that feels genuine and impressively charismatic given the subject matter. The Martian is a testament to simply not screwing up a simple, effective story of survival and hope, with Ridley Scott delivering a fascinating film that never wavers its optimism in humanities ability to fight for survival. In fact, I'd argue that Optimism is a major component of the film itself, as one could argue that Mark's ability to survive is unquestionably due to his unwavering hope. Being a Ridley Scott film, The Martian looks great, with beautiful set design, innovative science-fiction based production design, impressive special effects, and an uncanny eye for capturing the awe-factor of outer space. Featuring an impressive central performance from Matt Damon, Ridley Scott's The Martian is one of the filmmakers best films in years, being a simple, yet effective story of survival and the need for optimism no matter the circumstances.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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