The Martian (Now in 3D! Sigh)

Warning! Contains Spoilers!

We are back to space with another epic. After the success of “Interstellar” and “Gravity” its a journey I'm glad to take. I wouldn't be surprised if any of this generation would want to be astronauts at all. Hollywood has latched onto the fact that space is a shit place to live. Now Mars gets the treatment. This film is based on a book. I have not read it. With my expectations limited to “its in space”, Matt Damon and Ridley Scott, excitement was justified. This Scott chap seems to know a thing or two about space movies. I was lucky enough to see an advanced screening so a celebratory ice cream was in order. One small step.

Things are going well on Mars. The latest batch of intrepid explorers are currently doing science things with rocks and stuff while banter flows back and forth over the radio to show us just what good mates they all are. Things couldn't be any better for our little house on the prairie (of Martian death rock!) Things get worse. The crew must have been planning a game of cricket cause a massive storm front is moving in and threatens to tip over their escape rocket. The mission commander (Jessica Chastain) believes its time to bale and orders everyone onto the mini missile. In the dust and confusion, botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is struck by debris and presumed killed. Hours later he wakes to find himself abandoned with a bit of metal sticking out of his gut. With dwindling resources, low oxygen and limited condiments to spice up dinner our hero must “science the shit out of this” to survive.

What a ride! We can safely pencil in that I loved this film. “The Martian” manages to be both exciting and tension filled. While the resourceful Watney does his best to ingeniously survive, the support crew on Earth race against time and distance to help him. Its impossible to not get invested. Watney decides to keep a video diary and this is an ingenious story telling device as we actually get to see into his eyes and hear his thoughts on each obstacle he over comes, we get to celebrate each triumph and we get to dread each disaster all along there with him. Because Mars is a shit place to live. And beautiful! Scott doesn't bang our heads against the screen screaming “look what I can do with CGI!” instead Mars just is. Its right there, both real and vast. We are treated to long panoramic views that could be from any wildness (except we know just how alien it is out there).

Although his action credentials are solid I have never been sold on the idea of leading man Damon. “The Martian” quashes those doubts with a thousand pounds of thrust. He is wonderful and naturally puts a surprising elements of humour (try not to laugh if you had been left on Mars!) into the film. The rest of the cast is as star studded as the background. Chastain plays the driven mission commander who has to weigh up the responsibility for her crew as well as the crushing guilt for having leaving Watney behind. Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sean Bean all nail small but crucial roles as heads of NASA. These are only a few. There will be a few “isn't that her from...” moments when you sit down to enjoy.

"I don't think they are coming back..."

I cant let “The Martian” off Scott free. For a movie about abandonment on Mars and the inevitable struggle to survive there is remarkably little peril or friction in the film. On Mars, Watney is not a marooned visitor. He is an astronaut. Specifically he is an astronaut who has been selected by NASA to go to Mars. Our budding botanist (that was a pun) is an outstanding human being before the rocket even takes off. Any resourcefulness and determination is suffixed by the fact that we expect (not hope, but expect) a person selected as one of six out of seven billion would have such qualities! Back on Earth we almost have combustible fiction between the head of NASA, the head of Mars missions and the head of the mission crew but once again their outstanding professionalism shines through. I may be pining for melodrama but a heated debate just doesn't get my rocket boosters firing.

“The Martian” touches down with a solid four Brian faces out of five.