The Martian-2015
Director Ridley Scott
Starring Matt Damon
Scott’s Review #379
Reviewed February 19, 2016
Grade: C-
The latest film from heralded director Ridley Scott (notable for classics Blade Runner (1982) and Alien (1979), The Martian (2015) is a science-fiction space adventure about a presumed-dead astronaut (Matt Damon) trapped on Mars after his fellow team members believe he’s dead.
NASA and a rescue crew desperately try to save him as supplies run out.
Extremely resourceful, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) cleverly avoids death by using his wits to survive and prosper on the challenging planet.
Following several other high-profile modern science fiction offerings, such as Interstellar (2014) and Gravity (2013), The Martian features a big Hollywood star in the lead role.
Much of the action follows Watney as he tries to produce food and supplies and preserve his sanity, think Tom Hanks in Cast Away (2000), on another planet, with an indoor operations station left by his abandoned crew.
The Martian has received accolades, even winning the Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy Film, though that’s a poor category.
The film has snippets of humor and a few background songs, but that is it. Maybe some late-1970s disco songs make it a musical?
I found The Martian to be a Hollywood mainstream film in every sense. That may be a high compliment to some, but I expect more.
It is not that The Martian is a bad film; it is not, but it is mediocre and has all the elements of an average offering. The film aimed for an emotional experience that I didn’t get.
I had little doubt that the ending would be sweet and wrapped in a bow.
Mark Watney is the typical all-American character in a “guy film”. He hates disco and loves ketchup. The film makes him a guy’s guy so the average filmgoer can relate to him.
He is in good shape, cracks jokes, and is likable.
But that is also a problem with the character in The Martian. He lacks substance. We know little about him, except that his parents never appear on-screen.
The way the film touts him as the hero and has him cheered and praised, while it would be warranted in real life, just feels forced and contrived.
This is not a knock against Matt Damon, who does a decent job.
My beef is that the character is not fleshed out. The well-built Damon at the beginning of the film versus the scrawny Damon at the conclusion feels like a facade, since they used a body double in the later scenes.
This lack of authenticity disappointed me.
I expected more from the supporting cast. Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Kristen Wiig play one-note types that any actor could have played.
Why were big stars cast at all?
Chastain as a mission commander, Daniels as Director of NASA, Ejiofor as NASA mission commander, and Wiig as a Public Relations specialist.
The casting, particularly Wiig in the straight-laced, stale role, was mysterious to me, and it wasn’t a particularly good portrayal… and I am a Wiig fan.
The humorous parts in The Martian are contrived and not dissimilar to countless other films, with the smart-ass remarks all containing a bland quality.
Lines like “Eat your heart out, Neil Armstrong” seem silly and unnecessary.
I expected more wit.
Let me be fair, the visual effects (it is space, after all) are impressive, and it was fairly interesting to see what is supposed to be the planet Mars, but in this day and age of CGI effects, the film isn’t that spectacular.
I would much rather be given a compelling story than visual treats any day of the week.
My review of The Martian may seem harsh, but I expected more from it than I got.
With several Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, I expected a top-notch film, but The Martian didn’t come close.
Mediocrity, straightforwardness, and predictability describe The Martian (2015).
I have heard the novel is fantastic, so I added it to my reading list.
Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor-Matt Damon, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects