For months, I've anticipated Ridley Scott's return to the big screen. It has been years since a film of his was truly something special so my anticipation for The Martian was huge. Positive word of mouth really sold this movie and convinced tons of people to ultimately see it this past weekend. The trailers and hype surrounding this space drama was huge. And boy am I glad to write that this film exceeded the hype. The Martian is one of the best films of the year and Scott's best in ages.
The Martian felt like a film I had never seen before. Usually, themes and elements in film have been used before so a fresh and new idea is hard to come by. With this film, I felt it was something entirely new. Matt Damon's character Mark Watney is stranded alone on Mars and has to figure out how to live. Usually, this would present a dramatic character piece with tons of obstacles. Although obstacles exist, Watney remains ultimately positive and brings wit to his situation. The tone of this film was expected to be super serious, yet I laughed so much. The tone was entirely unique and something captivating. The overwhelming sense of hope was just awesome.
The way this film presented was fantastic. We all knew how it was going to end. Let's face it, it's rather obvious. So the challenge here was the build to that expected ending. Scott's presentation of the story was spectacular. There was never a dull moment in the story. Whether we were seeing Watney attempt to grow food or NASA trying to figure how to get Mark home, it was always thoroughly entertaining. I was hooked the entire time. Usually, I check my phone during the film just to make sure everything is okay with loved ones or see if somebody is trying to reach me. Yet, I didn't look at my phone once. This story is truly captivating. It applies such complicated subject matter (space travel) and makes it so appealing. I'd say The Martian incorporated what makes other space films great and made something entirely unique. I've never seen a space film like this one. And that's a huge positive. Visually, this film was also stunning. The shots showcasing Mars were out of this world (sorry for the pun). Space looked absolutely stunning and amazingly real. The research was clearly done to convey a true space journey.
Along with the story and visuals, the cast absolutely ruled. The marketing for this film heavily relied on selling this star studded cast and was a huge hook for me. Besides being a total geek about space, the cast was super appealing to me. Matt Damon was fantastic. I totally see a potential Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Mark Watney. He was humorous, serious, and overall just a fantastic leading man. For most of the film, he was totally alone and had nobody to work with. He was usually talking directly to a camera and he was just so believable. His wit really helped the story and helped avoid dull moments of potential despair. Chiwetel Ejiofor was also fantastic. He played the head of NASA's Mars missions and was just great. There's a scene where he's communicating with Watney through a computer and the emotion he sells is just brilliant. Jessica Chastain, Donald Glover, Michael Peña, and Kristen Wiig were also all fantastic. This film has such a brilliant cast and everybody holds their own.
I will keep this review short so I can convey you to go see this movie. You will not regret it.
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