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Movie Review: The Martian (2015)
by StevenHelmer
A review of the 2015 science fiction adventure starring Matt Damon.
Synopsis: When a strong storm forces a team of astronauts to abandon their Mars mission, botanist Mark Watney is accidentally left behind when the rest of his team believes he has been killed. Millions of miles from home with limited resources, Watney must find a way to stretch his supplies so he can survive while the team of NASA engineers back home tries to figure out how to bring him home.
Who's In It?
The movie stars Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig and Kate Mara.
I ended up getting this movie through Netflix a few weeks ago but didn't have an opportunity to finally watch it until last night. When we did, I must admit I had some doubts about whether or not I would enjoy the movie because, even though it had good reviews, it wasn't the type of film I normally take the time to watch. However, after seeing it, I have to say I definitely enjoyed it.
The best way to describe this film is it is a lot like the 1995 film, "Apollo 13." There are just to major differences. First, since this movie was fiction, the ending wasn't already common knowledge. And, second, there were a lot more potentially deadly disasters in this film. That combination made this movie very entertaining.
The thing I liked, in particular, about this film was the fact Watney (Damon) had his share of impossible successes but, at the same time, he, and the team trying to help him from Earth, had a growing list of failures too.
This did create a surprising amount of suspense whenever he or somebody else tried something to extend his life expectancy because there was no guarantee it would work. In fact, on more than one occasion, there was a setback that shortened the amount of time he could live on the planet.
Some parts of the movie were a little predictable, including NASA's ultimate plan to rescue him (something I kind of guess would end up being the case). But, even on those occasions, the film still kept me guessing a bit as, once again, something would happen to keep the plan from being pulled off exactly as drawn up. As a result of this, I did find I was on the edge of my seat much more than I thought I would be.
Final Opinion
From the previews, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this film. But, it turned out to be a fantastic film and I'm glad I finally took the time to watch it. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it.
My Grade: A
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Updated: 03/06/2016, StevenHelmer
Mira on 03/07/2016
I missed this film when it came out. Can't wait to watch it on TV sometime. Thanks for the review!
Judy on 03/06/2016
We have this coming, glad you liked it!
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