Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Of course!
Running time: 141 minutes (~2.25 hours)
Secret ending? No, but the credits scene carries an epilogue.
“The Martian” is a science fiction drama about an astronaut who is left stranded on Mars by accident. He must find a way to survive until he can be rescued, while those on Earth scramble to bring him home. It stars Matt Damon (Mark Watney), Jessica Chastain (Melissa Lewis), Kristin Wiig (Annie Montrose), Jeff Daniels (Teddy Sanders), Michael Pena (Rick Martinez), Kate Mara (Beth Johanssen), Sean Bean (Mitch Henderson), Sebastian Stan (Chris Beck), Aksel Hennie (Alex Vogel), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Vincent Kapoor), Donald Glover (Rich Purnell), Benedict Wong (Bruce Ng), Mackenzie Davis (Mindy Park), Eddy Ko (Guo Ming), and Chen Shu (Zhu Tao). It is rated PG-13.
“The Martian” may not have the grand sweeping premise of other science fiction epics, but it slowly grows into a story of truly world spanning proportions. Of course, this can be said of any space drama, since it literally happens across planets. But what “The Martian” does is that it takes a story that takes place in the stars and grounds it firmly in character and universal themes. “The Martian” is a story about the triumph of the human spirit, despite its title, and how united the human race can be when it comes to one of our own.
Highlights
Mark Watney’s sense of humour and optimism
Matt Damon delivers a splendid performance as Mark Watney, balancing a truly hopeless situation with touches of positivity and the occasional joke. It’s not that Mark Watney doesn’t understand how bleak his circumstances are — on the contrary, you know that he perfectly understands how dire his plight is, since he’s an intelligent botanist and a capable astronaut. But it’s because of his mental fortitude and spiritual strength that he’s still able to carry on despite all that has happened. And in the climax, when he finally starts to tear knowing how close he is to the end of his ordeal, that you truly realise how much it has taken for him to keep everything together.
Sense of closure to Mark’s time on Mars
In a beautiful piece of storytelling, the conditions under which Mark was left behind are mirrored in how he is rescued, taking the story full circle and providing the much needed catharsis for all the characters involved. It bookends the start and end of his trials in a wonderfully poetic way, both fulfilling our dramatic and symbolic need to see his story come to a close.
Strong opening
The film begins like it’s going to give us a slow, sleepy opening that gently eases us into all of the characters — then it suddenly drops the action on you and gives us an exciting, climatic beginning. But even after that, the introduction continues with a horrific, nail-biting scene that jolts you into action. It’s this memorable opening that sets it apart from other space movies, because it sets the tone and pace for the rest of the movie.
Good pacing
After an excellent opening, “The Martian” continues with this splendid pace, with barely a single scene of boring exposition slowing down the action. It’s either a new revelation or a naturally placed obstacle that keeps the action flowing. Tensions run high as you empathise with the characters and their desperate efforts to rescue Mark from his unintended exile to Mars, and their hopes and fears are echoed in our own emotions, as we watch the rescue attempts unfold with great excitement.
Drama on Earth is compelling
Even though the title of the movie is “The Martian,” much of the action is set on Earth as well. Though the human race stands united in saving Mark Watney, there are still bits of conflict as different parties set about it in varying methods and with opposing objectives. Suffice it to say that even the most antagonistic of characters are troubled at the decisions they have to make in course of the Mars rescue efforts, and it is watching their internal struggle that provides engaging drama in the Earth scenes.
Letdowns
A tad too long
At 141 minutes, “The Martian” runs for over two hours and will leave you exhausted, since the tension never lets up. While it’s an excellent adventure and a lovely story that’s told, it could have been slightly shortened with the removal of some unnecessary obstacles. Still, it’s not unbearably long, and still manages to come out at a barely tolerable length.
“The Martian” deserves to be called a space epic, even if its premise doesn’t quite justify that label. At heart, it’s a simple tale of human unity and spirit, set amidst the grand vastness of space.
“The Martian” opens 1 October, 2015 (Thursday).
This review was also published on Yahoo.
You spelt the character’s name as Mark Watner halfway down the review.
Thanks! Updated it.