Ridley Scott has commandeered his fair share of epic stories, some taking place in other times in history and others taking place in alien worlds. The Martian is his first attempt at an alien story where the residents of this planet are not trying to violently kill the protagonist. In this case, it is the planet itself that is the beautiful, yet deadly, villain.
Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a Martian storm and left behind by his team. But Watney survives and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. This movie is a wonderful advertisement for science in general and essentially winds up to be a rather excellent Macgyver on Mars.
Despite having a similar feel to 2013's Gravity, this film does not feel as lonely or cold, mainly due to a large share of earth-based scenes where an international crew collaborates to send a rescue mission. Despite the enormous distance between characters, it never really feels like Watney is alone.
There are some well-placed comedic moments that break the tension, a surprisingly fitting soundtrack and a fantastic Lord of the Rings reference that seems almost too good to be true. A well designed and executed film with stunning visuals and a satisfying conclusion.
The Martian
141 minutes
Rating: 4.5/5
