This is the review I wrote for the school newspaper The Aquinas~
Matt Damon is stranded and in need of rescue once again in three-time
Oscar-nominated director, Ridley Scott’s film “The Martian.”
Adapted from American author Andy Weir’s 2011 interplanetary exploration
novel, this adventurous sci-fi thriller is depicted as an “Apollo 13 meets
Cast Away” story. It is even more interesting to cast Damon as the leading
actor because his previous characters in “Interstellar” and “Saving
Private Ryan” also needed to be rescued.
The plot is mainly about how astronaut Mark Watney (Damon) survives being
left for dead on Mars by his crewmates after their mission is aborted because
of a fierce storm. He does so by drawing upon his ingenuity, spirit and wit
to find a way signal Earth that he is still alive and subsist until NASA
figures out a way to attempt his rescue.
“The Martian” was released in a 3-D version as well, and the effects are
especially astonishing with shots containing floating items in the spacecraft
and the storm on Mars.
With most of the exterior desert scenes of Mars shot in Jordan, the staple
hue of “The Martian” is red, and the other scenes which take place in NASA
are basically steel grey sets. However, this doesn’t make the motion picture
boring visually. The beautiful, azure blue Earth, which appears in every
space-related movie, and the lively, verdant green sprouts Mark manages to
grow on the barren planet help to add a vibrant contrast to the uniform
Martian landscape.
Unlike some sci-fi pictures that create rather dubious scientific theories, “
The Martian” presents plausible science without dumbing it down, while
making it accessible for the audience. And although Mark is a high-trained
scientist with a specialty in botany, the feature film presents him with a
reality show vibe as he films everything he does, often with snarky
commentary accompanying his detailed explanations, in order to leave a log
behind, so subsequent missions can learn from his ordeal.
Besides the above-mentioned visual merits, the soundtrack also enhances “The
Martian.” The score creates the mood of being alone on Mars, and it hits the
audiences’ ears perfectly as we look through Mark’s eyes to scan the lonely
planet all the way to the horizon. Even though we might expect “The Martian”
to be a soul crushing film, moviegoers won’t feel sad watching it because
the other half of the time, the upbeat disco music not only cheers Mark up,
but also gives viewers a promise of hope.
“The Martian” may not be the best motion picture of the year, but it’s
definitely an excellent movie which combines an amazing soundtrack, charming
actor Matt Damon, spectacular visual effects and most important of all, a
talented director, Ridley Scott.
The online edition of The Aquinas of University of Scranton:
http://tinyurl.com/purozgt