dir. by Ridley Scott
BEST NEW FEATURERidley Scott's return to form isn't quite the intense thrill ride that was expected, but as a crowd-pleaser on an epic scale, it's nothing short of wonderful.
On a mission to Mars, a storm causes Mark Watney (Matt Damon) to be struck by debris and thus presumed dead by his crew. However, once the crew have left him behind, Watney wakes up and finds himself alone on the planet. Stranded and with nobody knowing he's alive, he's forced to work with what's still on Mars in order to live long enough to be rescued. Although the premise of a stranded astronaut isn't dissimilar to 2013's superb Gravity, The Martian is a different beast altogether, possessing a much more upbeat tone and less of an emphasis on its own grandiose visuals. While watching The Martian in 3D will make the film's impressive visuals that much more effective, this is a film of humour and narrative payoff, and those don't need any special glasses to be appreciated.
Contrary to what might have been expected, this film is genuinely funny, often lightening up scenes with plenty of good humour. Watney in particular is full of quips, but plenty of other characters also bring some good laughs to their scenes. In spite of its premise and some tenser scenes, The Martian is constantly optimistic, and whereas many other stories about fights for survival tend towards the bleak side of things, most of the complications here are ultimately overcome without any sort of harsh sacrifice. A few scenes after something goes horrifically wrong, the film will shift right into the next plan to put faith in. This isn't overdone, and while the things that do go wrong can at times feel forced, it's never so much as to be distracting, and thankfully the things that go right always flow naturally, which is good, because they are the meat and bones of the movie.
Damon's performance, something central to the film, is strong enough to make spending the amount of time that we do with Watney an absolute blast. While the film starts to split time between Watney and the rescuers more as it goes on, it's clear that the lost astronaut is the central character. Damon captures Watney's humour and personality brilliantly, while also keeping the edge of frustration and fear that lines that humour, and as fun as he is to watch when things are going well, he also weathers the serious moments skilfully. That frustration, and especially that fear, comes to the surface when Watney is most at risk, and there it really helps that this titular Martian is a genuinely likable guy. Ultimately, you want him to be brought home, and you hope that NASA can get a successful rescue effort together before he starves to death.
That is, in part, why it's so exhilarating to watch the people back on earth scramble to save him. Another factor of that is the film's fantastic pacing. Plenty of time is spent building anticipation as the rescue effort escalates, and though it doesn't always work out, just the right amount of time is given to the moments of despair before the film starts picking up again. For a film of this tone, that means that these moments are vastly outnumbered by moments of optimism, where everyone is working together to save Watney. What this makes for is a thoroughly entertaining theatre experience that will make you feel better afterwards than you did going in.
Perhaps more instrumental to the film's entertainment value than anything else, however, is all the ingenious ways in which Watney keeps himself alive and in which the rescue team conspires to bring him home. Early on, Watney has the good luck of being a botanist, making it much easier for him to create an environment in which to grow crops. He brings up all sorts of other inventive ideas in order to compensate for the various struggles that come with being stranded on Mars some distance away from the landing site of the next Mars mission. On Earth, a team at NASA including director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels), spokesperson Annie Montrose (Kristen Wiig), mission directorVincent Capoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and others conspires to rescue Watney once they discover that he's still alive, eventually building up to communicating with him and launching their rescue efforts from there. It takes a lot to get to the point of rescuing him, however, and all the stuff in between is a blast to watch unfold.
So no, The Martian isn't the next Gravity. Instead, it's something wholly different but almost as good: An exhilarating, expensive, star-studded, uplifting blockbuster film which deserves both the hype and, judging by the crowds at the movie theatre, the profits that it has and will continue to receive. It's not a great revelation that will change your life, but it is one of the most thoroughly enjoyable films you can see this year. In the most packed movie season of the year, it may be hard to choose between the myriad great films being released every week, but if you have any interest in The Martian, then you won't be disappointed.
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