The Martian

8

moviescriticnetDec 8, 2015

One of the blockbusters of the year, a good adventure movie but an overrated one as well (8,2 in imdb). The Martian is Ridley Scott's return after his last good movie, Prometheus (2012).
Picture this one as a combination of the science ofOne of the blockbusters of the year, a good adventure movie but an overrated one as well (8,2 in imdb). The Martian is Ridley Scott's return after his last good movie, Prometheus (2012).
Picture this one as a combination of the science of Apollo 13 (1995), combined with the survival element of Cast Away (2000) and the lost in space fun of Gravity (2013). After the recent success of Gravity (7 oscars for an all-right sci-fi adventure movie) it seems that space adventure movies can combine Academy Awards' appreciation with ticket selling. The Martian is very well made, Ridley Scott's direction is impressive at some points and Matt Damon tries his best, but the movie is obviously not thought provocative. Still it's the perfect movie to have your pop corn with.… Expand

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8

NicholasTseDec 21, 2015

The Martian is good because it is not the typical shock and awe sci-fi blast'em up we are so used to. It is chilled out, geeky, realistic, grand and funny allnat the same time. We can't pigeon hole it. And we don't have to. You just needThe Martian is good because it is not the typical shock and awe sci-fi blast'em up we are so used to. It is chilled out, geeky, realistic, grand and funny allnat the same time. We can't pigeon hole it. And we don't have to. You just need to come out of it satisfied. We pretty much know that he's going to make it home. But how? And you see all NASA, and humanity working their butts off doing it. It's man against nature, or space in this case. And it's done entertainingly. Hats off to Ridley Scott !… Expand

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8

chris247482Jan 2, 2016

I enjoyed this film. It is more science than scifi and hopefully it will inspire more people to take up an interest in the sciences. The acting was ok. Its the typical American fare with people cheering and the rebel subordinates goingI enjoyed this film. It is more science than scifi and hopefully it will inspire more people to take up an interest in the sciences. The acting was ok. Its the typical American fare with people cheering and the rebel subordinates going against orders etc. The plot is predictable and some of the dialogue is cheesy. It is not a film that will go down in history has the greatest ever by any means, but if you like space/survival drams (think castaway set in space- but not has depressing) then its definitely worth seeing for a fun diversion.… Expand

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8

EpicLadySpongeJan 6, 2016

It feels like another poor film from the start, but I was wrong. It'll be as enjoyable as you wanted it to be. The Martian doesn't make me want to watch this, but I know where a film is when I see one.

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8

HadziJan 16, 2016

I enjoyed watching this movie it was good and science behind it was accurate, it was nice visually, clever humor but it had no tension up until the end part and part where China was involved somehow just does not need to be in this movie.

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8

AndrewLambertMar 6, 2016

Wonderful visuals and refreshing humor give The Martian an inherent and universal likability, resulting in another notable sci-fi triumph for Ridley Scott.

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8

pureshoresMar 25, 2016

This movie somewhat reminds me of another Academy Award nominee for Best Picture, Gravity. It's your usual race to survival but it pales in comparison with the latter. Gravity's strength relies on bringing us in along for the ride with theThis movie somewhat reminds me of another Academy Award nominee for Best Picture, Gravity. It's your usual race to survival but it pales in comparison with the latter. Gravity's strength relies on bringing us in along for the ride with the protagonist whereas The Martian aims to show us how as realistically as possible he overcomes his struggles in outer space. It also helps that he has a keen sense of humor and hates disco music.… Expand

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8

FilmClubMar 27, 2016

Ridley Scott adapts Andy Weir's sci-fi novel about an astronaut, played by Matt Damon, left stranded and struggling to survive on Mars.

Ridley Scott goes back to the future, a familiar destination for him, and returns in fine shape in TheRidley Scott adapts Andy Weir's sci-fi novel about an astronaut, played by Matt Damon, left stranded and struggling to survive on Mars.

Ridley Scott goes back to the future, a familiar destination for him, and returns in fine shape in The Martian. Although technically science fiction by virtue of its being largely set on a neighboring planet, this smartly made adaptation of Andy Weir’s best-selling novel is more realistic in its attention to detail than many films set in the present, giving the story the feel of an adventure that could happen the day after tomorrow. Constantly absorbing rather than outright exciting, this major autumn Fox release should generate muscular business worldwide.

Scott has famously been up in space before, thrillingly in Alien, far less so in Prometheus (a sequel to which he is currently preparing). This time, he’s telling a survival story, pure and simple, of an American astronaut, thought to be dead, who’s left behind on Mars when an enormous storm compels his five fellow crew members to hastily cut short their extra-planetary visit. It’s Robinson Crusoe on Mars, but without the monkey and aliens.

When Mark Watney (Matt Damon) regains consciousness after having been impaled by an errant antenna and knocked out, he quickly assesses the situation: He’s millions of miles from home and, based on the food supply, concludes that he’s got a month to live. But he’s by nature a can-do, optimistic kind of guy, a botanist by profession possessed of a sardonic, self-deprecating sense of humor, and decides that he has no intention of dying, even though the next Mars mission from home isn’t due to arrive for another four years.

Most of the early-going is devoted to the man making calculations as to how he can maximize his time on the arid planet, beginning by growing more potatoes from the ones he’s got (in part by using his own homemade manure). Living in the relatively spacious quarters he and his colleagues set up, Mark cannibalizes everything he can, carefully apportions his rations and settles in for the long term; at moments the biggest threat to his sanity is the exclusive collection of ‘70s disco music left behind by one of his former astronauts.

The claustrophobia and solitariness of Mark’s situation is shortly broken up by events back on Earth. After Mark’s tragedy has been duly mourned by the public, a sharp-eyed NASA technician notices ground movement in her surveillance of the Martian surface that could only be Mark moving around. Communication is duly re-established, which ignites both elation at his survival and frantic assessments of what it would take, and cost, to launch a rescue mission.

Weir’s book is heavy with technical assessments of food and oxygen supplies, mechanical capabilities, flight duration and the physics of inter-planetary travel. Screenwriter Drew Goddard (World War Z, Cloverfield) has respected all these details while whittling them down to manageable and comprehensible levels. Officials at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (represented by a lively and individualistic cast including Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mackenzie Davis and Donald Glover) do everything they can to develop a feasible rescue plan and are ultimately helped out by a surprising foreign partner.

But ultimately it comes down to the willingness of Mark’s astronaut colleagues (Jessica Chastain, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie) to place themselves at great risk by attempting a long-shot rescue attempt, a decision that raises the provocative moral dilemma of whether it’s correct to put five lives at great risk for the remote reward of saving one life.

Scott does generate a degree of suspense in this climactic stretch, but the film’s overall tone is dominated by the characters’ collegial humor, mutual respect among professionals and smart people being tested by an unprecedented challenge. The director and screenwriter downplay the conventional melodrama inherent in the situation in favor of emphasizing how practical problems should be addressed with rational responses rather than hysteria, knee-jerk patriotism or selfish expedience.

Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski turns the neat trick of providing the film with a fundamental documentary reality while also making a thing of great beauty. Extra attentiveness is amply on display in all creative departments.

Ridley's back in (a good) space.… Expand

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8

MovieMasterEddyApr 10, 2016

Ridley Scott adapts Andy Weir's sci-fi novel about an astronaut, played by Matt Damon, left stranded and struggling to survive on Mars.

Ridley Scott goes back to the future, a familiar destination for him, and returns in fine shape in TheRidley Scott adapts Andy Weir's sci-fi novel about an astronaut, played by Matt Damon, left stranded and struggling to survive on Mars.

Ridley Scott goes back to the future, a familiar destination for him, and returns in fine shape in The Martian. Although technically science fiction by virtue of its being largely set on a neighboring planet, this smartly made adaptation of Andy Weir’s best-selling novel is more realistic in its attention to detail than many films set in the present, giving the story the feel of an adventure that could happen the day after tomorrow. Constantly absorbing rather than outright exciting, this major autumn Fox release should generate muscular business worldwide.

Scott has famously been up in space before, thrillingly in Alien, far less so in Prometheus (a sequel to which he is currently preparing). This time, he’s telling a survival story, pure and simple, of an American astronaut, thought to be dead, who’s left behind on Mars when an enormous storm compels his five fellow crew members to hastily cut short their extra-planetary visit. It’s Robinson Crusoe on Mars, but without the monkey and aliens.

When Mark Watney (Matt Damon) regains consciousness after having been impaled by an errant antenna and knocked out, he quickly assesses the situation: He’s millions of miles from home and, based on the food supply, concludes that he’s got a month to live. But he’s by nature a can-do, optimistic kind of guy, a botanist by profession possessed of a sardonic, self-deprecating sense of humor, and decides that he has no intention of dying, even though the next Mars mission from home isn’t due to arrive for another four years.

Most of the early-going is devoted to the man making calculations as to how he can maximize his time on the arid planet, beginning by growing more potatoes from the ones he’s got (in part by using his own homemade manure). Living in the relatively spacious quarters he and his colleagues set up, Mark cannibalizes everything he can, carefully apportions his rations and settles in for the long term; at moments the biggest threat to his sanity is the exclusive collection of ‘70s disco music left behind by one of his former astronauts.

The claustrophobia and solitariness of Mark’s situation is shortly broken up by events back on Earth. After Mark’s tragedy has been duly mourned by the public, a sharp-eyed NASA technician notices ground movement in her surveillance of the Martian surface that could only be Mark moving around. Communication is duly re-established, which ignites both elation at his survival and frantic assessments of what it would take, and cost, to launch a rescue mission.

Weir’s book is heavy with technical assessments of food and oxygen supplies, mechanical capabilities, flight duration and the physics of inter-planetary travel. Screenwriter Drew Goddard (World War Z, Cloverfield) has respected all these details while whittling them down to manageable and comprehensible levels. Officials at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (represented by a lively and individualistic cast including Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mackenzie Davis and Donald Glover) do everything they can to develop a feasible rescue plan and are ultimately helped out by a surprising foreign partner.

But ultimately it comes down to the willingness of Mark’s astronaut colleagues (Jessica Chastain, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie) to place themselves at great risk by attempting a long-shot rescue attempt, a decision that raises the provocative moral dilemma of whether it’s correct to put five lives at great risk for the remote reward of saving one life.

Scott does generate a degree of suspense in this climactic stretch, but the film’s overall tone is dominated by the characters’ collegial humor, mutual respect among professionals and smart people being tested by an unprecedented challenge. The director and screenwriter downplay the conventional melodrama inherent in the situation in favor of emphasizing how practical problems should be addressed with rational responses rather than hysteria, knee-jerk patriotism or selfish expedience.

Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski turns the neat trick of providing the film with a fundamental documentary reality while also making a thing of great beauty. Extra attentiveness is amply on display in all creative departments.

Ridley's back in (a good) space.… Expand

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8

Myon-NeutrinoJul 29, 2016

Wow! After that nasty crime called "Prometheus" i would have never believed ridley scott could do it right again. While Prometheus was one of the worst sci fi movies I´ve ever seen, "The Martian" was pretty good! I especially liked how WatneyWow! After that nasty crime called "Prometheus" i would have never believed ridley scott could do it right again. While Prometheus was one of the worst sci fi movies I´ve ever seen, "The Martian" was pretty good! I especially liked how Watney behaved to survive on mars, I also liked his humor. There weren´t as many action oriented stylized blockbuster elements in this movie, everything went solid. I was pretty excited during the whole film, it managed to bring many unexpected changes every here and then to keep the voltage going.… Expand

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8

pjthexdjJul 22, 2016

Good movie. Ridley Scott making Mars look real big and, as is his style, making it grandeur. Cast complemented each other, with a dash of humor here and there. Very entertaining

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8

DeanomiteFeb 16, 2020

It's very well made, like everything Ridley Scott makes. What I find most implausible is that everyone cares so much about this guy, in a world where people don't care about the air they breathe, the water they drink or the food they eat.It's very well made, like everything Ridley Scott makes. What I find most implausible is that everyone cares so much about this guy, in a world where people don't care about the air they breathe, the water they drink or the food they eat. Then, they get China to go out of their way for this guy, China! care about 1 guy ?? This is the most implausible movie I have ever seen, it takes place on a world where somebody cares about something.… Expand

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8

JLuis_001Sep 7, 2017

In general terms the film is an entertaining work, a film that is enjoyed despite its lenght of almost two and a half hours, I have heard some complaints from many who did not enjoy it because they found it very cerebral, but I think that isIn general terms the film is an entertaining work, a film that is enjoyed despite its lenght of almost two and a half hours, I have heard some complaints from many who did not enjoy it because they found it very cerebral, but I think that is wrong .

I enjoyed The Martian and therefore I recommend it.… Expand

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8

VoxxyNov 6, 2017

Emotional, funny, and compelling, The Martian dramatizes an extreme and risky situation through the thoughts and actions of realistic people. It's great sci-fi entertainment, but what it has in story, it lacks in accurate scientific detail.Emotional, funny, and compelling, The Martian dramatizes an extreme and risky situation through the thoughts and actions of realistic people. It's great sci-fi entertainment, but what it has in story, it lacks in accurate scientific detail. Sit back, enjoy, and don't bother taking notes during this one.… Expand

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8

wiiy71Dec 30, 2017

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8

Popcorn55Sep 25, 2019

Scifi with some laughs and a heart for a change. Avoids the pretentious self-importance of many recent scifi films like Interstellar. A good story and well directed, with a really upbeat and inspiring end credits sequence set to "LoveScifi with some laughs and a heart for a change. Avoids the pretentious self-importance of many recent scifi films like Interstellar. A good story and well directed, with a really upbeat and inspiring end credits sequence set to "Love Train", which wraps it up on a high note, shows us all the characters again, and leaves us with a good vibe - one of the best end sequences in cinema imho.

Points for daring to lay in 70s disco and 80s pop as the main soundtrack - helps to keep a light mood and avoid the dreaded heavy pretentious quality of so much sci fi.

Points off for some very thin and weak science that breaks credibility several times -- esp. during the final pickup when he magically flies around like Iron Man using just a little whiff of escaping air from his spacesuit. Come on! The screenwriter ran out of ideas at 3 AM. This is where the director has to step in and take control -- find a better way.

Watney misses his big moment when he finally gets a chance to send a message back to Earth. He should have sent, "SEND - EARTH - WOMEN" -- cut to the next scene, mission control telling him they got 172,000 volunteers.… Expand

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8

zNeverSleepingSep 26, 2020

The Martian é um dos melhores entretenimentos do gênero.

Tem um elenco maravilhoso, com o Matt Damon entregando uma ótima performance. Um roteiro muito bem escrito, com propostas inteligentes e que convencem, sem parecer muito forçado ou atéThe Martian é um dos melhores entretenimentos do gênero.

Tem um elenco maravilhoso, com o Matt Damon entregando uma ótima performance. Um roteiro muito bem escrito, com propostas inteligentes e que convencem, sem parecer muito forçado ou até mesmo viajado, o que é um ponto muito positivo pois acompanhar alguém inteligente é muito satisfatório. É claro que o filme abusa um pouco de arquétipos, principalmente no personagem do Donald Glover, que eu acredito estar lá só por conta da visibilidade, mas qualquer forma, o ritmo é fenomenal, propondo diversas cenas cômicas, de descobrimento e até mesmo tensas, o que me fez deixar de ser um pouco chato dessa vez.

A atmosfera de marte é muito boa. Poderia ser mais imersiva, quanto ao calor e vazio, mas talvez fugisse um pouco da proposta, que é nos divertir, e nisso ele funciona muito bem - eu, pelo menos, dei muita risada. Enfim, a fotografia se aproveita bastante do tom quente no deserto e com uma paleta de cores mais clean na "base" ou na nave, o que dá um ótimo contraste entre condições. Alguns planos abertos são verdadeiras pinturas e o HDR acrescenta muito nessa obra. A OST está presente em diversos momentos e dá o peso que o momento precisa. A soundtrack, de acordo com meu gosto musical, não poderia ser melhor, com musicas clássicas que simplesmente nos animam só de escutá-las.

The Martian é divertido, inteligente, conta com um ótimo elenco, e mesmo forçando a barra em um estereotipo ou outro, funciona muito bem como um todo.

Audio: English, with Portuguese subtitles. Q60T 50' TV Speakers [Dolby 7.1]
Quality: 4K HDR [Bluray]… Expand

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8

AlexeySoltanDec 30, 2021

........r................................................................................

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8

arteazuseAug 15, 2020

A pretty good sky-fi movie, but, unfortunately, with its drawbacks. It's really incredible that the director was able to competently fit 700 days (sol's) into 2.5 hours

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8

EdReviewMay 21, 2023

The Martian is a solid sci-fi movie, brilliantly directed by the great Ridley Scott, who once again returns to science fiction.
The Martian is not about far future and distant planets, it describes a fairly realistic situation in the nearThe Martian is a solid sci-fi movie, brilliantly directed by the great Ridley Scott, who once again returns to science fiction.
The Martian is not about far future and distant planets, it describes a fairly realistic situation in the near future, after mankind finally landed on Mars.
This is probably the most realistic sci-fi film I've ever watched, since is based on a book by the same name, written by Andy Weir, who studied for a long time to make it as realistic as possibile.
It has an outstanding cast and Matt Damon performance as astronaut Mark Watney is truly terrific.
If you're looking for a more realistic and down-to-earth sci-fi movie, definitely watch The Martian.… Expand

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8

NewVural15Sep 19, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. it survives with **** and even though it's a cliche movie that America saved again, it's still a good production… Expand

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8

ChanekeCholoDec 13, 2021

It's a pretty clever film and so easy to understand. Considering that this is a sci-fi film directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Prometheus,...), is appreciated that develops in a more comical way, but justly stabilized with theIt's a pretty clever film and so easy to understand. Considering that this is a sci-fi film directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Prometheus,...), is appreciated that develops in a more comical way, but justly stabilized with the drama. The performances are very good like so all the technical aspects.… Expand

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8

Gts08Jun 23, 2022

Awesome movie, one of the best in 2015. Matt Damon is shining at humor, the film is thrilling in every single minute, and Mars is a great place to a film, you know? The more down-to-earth style of the film somehow makes it even better and funnier.

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8

GiugiOct 2, 2022

Very nice movie even if a bit boring in many points but they are compensated by many scenes of a stratospheric beauty, so in general it turns out a very good movie that is a pleasure to watch.

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8

the_shadhu_khanApr 22, 2023

with different survival twist vibes and well directed actually that film. loved it

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7

CMCOct 25, 2015

Better than average "movie". Visually beautiful. Engaging enough. But like most big-budget Hollywood stuff, bloated, predictable, and ultimately unsatisfying and completely unmemorable.

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7

BikerjamesNov 2, 2015

This was a better movie when it was made 20 years ago and called "Apollo 13". Seriously, if you have seen a lot of movies in your life you will have a lot of De-ja Vu while watching this film. The Apollo 13 film had the exact same plot,This was a better movie when it was made 20 years ago and called "Apollo 13". Seriously, if you have seen a lot of movies in your life you will have a lot of De-ja Vu while watching this film. The Apollo 13 film had the exact same plot, someone stuck in space and we have to get them home, so there is constant interplay between the Astronaut and NASA on how they are going to fix the problems that constantly come up. That doesn't mean I didn't like The Martian. If you have Ridley Scott directing and Matt Damon starring chances are it's going to be well made. I really loved the look of the film, and it did keep me interested for the entire 2 1/2 hours. It's just not a film I would have a deep desire to see again.… Expand

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7

TokyochuchuMar 27, 2016

The Martian is a great realistic science-fiction movie of a man trapped on Mars. The science works well and it's all glued together by Matt Damon's energetic central performance... And Sean Bean actually survives!!

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7

jhepOct 2, 2015

OK…..so maybe it IS “Jason Bourne Goes To Mars“….so what?….Well I’ll tell you “what”. If Matt Damon wasn’t so good at being both manly and cute-and-cuddly at the same time this film would be in big trouble. However Matt is so good at bothOK…..so maybe it IS “Jason Bourne Goes To Mars“….so what?….Well I’ll tell you “what”. If Matt Damon wasn’t so good at being both manly and cute-and-cuddly at the same time this film would be in big trouble. However Matt is so good at both that leaving him on Mars is…. well…..UNTHINKABLE.
Yes Murphy’s Law gets worked to death here (I stopped counting at SNAFU # 36) AND the script really does suffer from a serious gas shortage somewhere near the half-way point…..but Matt makes a lot of the film “work”. I mean HE’S MATT DAMON for God‘s sake ! Of course the world is on tenterhooks until he’s been safely returned to Earth !… Expand

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7

HfahmyOct 15, 2015

Entertaining movie about an astronaut thought dead after a storm and left behind in Mars. Matt Damone, the left behind astronaut recovers from momentarily fainting and announces he is alive, and tries to use all his science to produce water,Entertaining movie about an astronaut thought dead after a storm and left behind in Mars. Matt Damone, the left behind astronaut recovers from momentarily fainting and announces he is alive, and tries to use all his science to produce water, irrigate, and move to a point where he can be rescued using an old spacecraft. After lot of debates in NASA they decide to bring him back with the help of the Chinese. The teem mate crew who left him for dead goes back while midway to rescue him in a time lengthy trip from Mars to the Earth. A scientific movie that cannot be understood in all its details but that mainly reveals that technology matters and that humans have to keep going trying and thinking. Matt Damone the left behind astronaut is the main actor without in depth acting. Other roles are complementary and coldly performed within a scenario mainly focused on technology without light on someone in particular. It is a worth seeing game of mind and space graphics, though somehow boringly lengthy.… Expand

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7

drlowdonDec 19, 2020

When the crew of the first manned mission to Mars are caught in a severe dust storm and forced evacuate the surface, astronaut Mark Watney is struck by debris and presumed dead. Mourning the loss of their colleague, the crew begin theirWhen the crew of the first manned mission to Mars are caught in a severe dust storm and forced evacuate the surface, astronaut Mark Watney is struck by debris and presumed dead. Mourning the loss of their colleague, the crew begin their journey back to Earth not realising he is still alive and now trapped alone on the red planet. Although Matt Damon shares more screen time than Tom Hanks did, The Martian is very much Castaway in space with much of the movies focus on Watney’s attempts to survive against all the odds. As one would expect Damon does a great job in the lead role, managing to infuse his character with enough charm (and humour) to make the audience care about his plight. In fact, despite the grand scenery this is very much a character based movie and in that regard it largely succeeds even if it’s never quite going to be considered as an all time classic.… Expand

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7

EludiumQ36May 10, 2016

I've rated this film a 7 because while very good, it's also quite derivative, IOW you've seen many of these plot elements/devices before, only the setting is different. Also, it loses points because at 2hrs 20min it's really long and stillI've rated this film a 7 because while very good, it's also quite derivative, IOW you've seen many of these plot elements/devices before, only the setting is different. Also, it loses points because at 2hrs 20min it's really long and still doesn't cover everything you want to see, so the problem is that it should've been a six-episode tv mini-series to reveal the full end-to-end experience. Plausibility is good enough but there really should've been more unexpected problems, but that goes back to the need for a mini-series; a lot of stuff got left on the cutting room floor and is otherwise left to your imagination.… Expand

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7

mrmonsterJan 18, 2016

A little overrated, Yes, but still a great movie. It had heart, it had humor, and it was overall just a great movie to watch. Matt Damon has done it again.

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7

xDaudexOct 2, 2015

Pros:
Main character is likable
Great climax
Realistic relationships between characters

Cons:
The ending is very quick
Wish Donald Glover was in more of the movie
The trailer reveals too much of the plot and good lines in the movie

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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7

anshimanOct 3, 2015

Having not read the original novel, I cannot judge the faithfulness of the film adaptation to the source material. However, independent of the specified context, 'The Martian' is a spectacular exploration of the admittedly generic butHaving not read the original novel, I cannot judge the faithfulness of the film adaptation to the source material. However, independent of the specified context, 'The Martian' is a spectacular exploration of the admittedly generic but nevertheless magical realm of human perseverance, determination, impartial compassion as well as the fight to exist. Gripping, suspenseful and often surprisingly comical, its character study of Mark Watney is a subterfuge to inspire us, and tell the uplifting story of the will of the human spirit in the face of extreme adversity. The film is oddly light-hearted (for a film that had a person deserted on a planet for years), however, this made for a kind of hunger for a greater range of emotion from our protagonist; one could argue that the uniqueness of the protagonist lies in his ability to withstand the harshest of conditions - yet, this makes for an overall less powerful tale of how bad the conditions really were - how bad things were before they got better. The cinematography of the film often paved the way for many beautiful scenes, but it is trivially easy to take a beautiful shot of outer space, or a planet. The difficult parts of the job lie with mise en scene - the shadows, the frame composition, and the colour palette of the frame. There were few shots that stood out in any of those criteria. In this sense, The Martian lacked a distinct style of its own, which Ridley Scott is often so apt at (refer to 1979's 'Alien'). Furthermore, lightheartedness took the place of gripping, gritty atmosphere, which makes for a less tonally diverse film. The soundtrack is often melodically repetitive and generic, but generally ticks the boxes.
These flaws, however, are small relative to the cinematic experience that this polished blockbuster delivers. Scott continues to deliver, even at the seemingly frail age of 77. I applaud the film as one of the best of 2015 thus far, and highly recommend it to anyone who has not had the pleasure of seeing it.… Expand

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7

Mazmorrero47Oct 2, 2015

As it's expected from a Ridley Scott film, The Martian is beautifully shot and has impressive visual effects. The performances are good, but we've seen better from these actors (Jessica Chastain, Donald Glover and Sebastian Stan areAs it's expected from a Ridley Scott film, The Martian is beautifully shot and has impressive visual effects. The performances are good, but we've seen better from these actors (Jessica Chastain, Donald Glover and Sebastian Stan are criminally underused).
The script, on the other hand, was a mixed bag. Drew Goddard is very talented at going back and forth between drama and comedy, and I liked the message that sense of humor helps you to survive in harsh circumstances. However, there was too much science porn and not enough sense of urgency. More than half of the dialog was about engineering rather than the characters themselves, which makes it hard to sympathize with them. I felt like I was watching a long Mythbusters episode. I was interested in knowing how the conflict would be solved, yet I never felt worried about Mark because he was always in control of the situation. He was the astronaut version of MacGyver.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie. I just don't think it lives up to the hype critics have been building.… Expand

4 of 8 users found this helpful44

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7

Iky009Oct 9, 2015

Well after the big Prometheus, Ridley Scott shows us a movie in space (nothing against it, because the guy is a whiz at science fiction genre, Alien say so ...). Lost on Mars shows an incredibly interesting plot, stumbling only and futileWell after the big Prometheus, Ridley Scott shows us a movie in space (nothing against it, because the guy is a whiz at science fiction genre, Alien say so ...). Lost on Mars shows an incredibly interesting plot, stumbling only and futile little things, such as unnecessary jokes, disposable and psychological moments of steadfast character, but also yes it is a good movie.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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7

foxgroveOct 4, 2015

A solidly crafted sci-Fi drama that has botanist Matt Damon left behind on Mars by his fellow space travellers who believe him to be dead following an accident on the Red planet. Adapted from a novel, his survival and NASA’s subsequent rescueA solidly crafted sci-Fi drama that has botanist Matt Damon left behind on Mars by his fellow space travellers who believe him to be dead following an accident on the Red planet. Adapted from a novel, his survival and NASA’s subsequent rescue mission makes up the bulk of the story. Incredulity is kept at bay due to an intelligently credible screenplay. Damon holds centre screen effortlessly, but performances are secondary to the visuals as presented by director Ridley Scott. Despite being rather long the film manages to constantly command attention and the last 20 minutes certainly rack the nerves. The writing is peppered with humour and the score is appropriately and memorably fitting. With regards to the 3D format, I don’t think it is essential here, but does the job unobtrusively.… Expand

11 of 15 users found this helpful114

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7

ignore78Oct 2, 2015

This is just like cast away but in space. Its thrilling at times but it dont even come close to Interstellar. Matt damon is great as always. But he alone isnt enough.

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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7

rockstargod11Oct 17, 2015

Pretty good. Matt Damon is fantastic in the leading role, there are many moments of genuine humour and it is never boring. But the film wastes its talented supporting cast by crucially underdeveloping them and that is an added shame since thePretty good. Matt Damon is fantastic in the leading role, there are many moments of genuine humour and it is never boring. But the film wastes its talented supporting cast by crucially underdeveloping them and that is an added shame since the performances by them are all great. The third act felt rushed, the emotional moments never given proper time to breathe, instead shown briefly and then the film moved on. It's a good film but nowhere near as good as the source material.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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7

TheWaffleOct 11, 2015

The Martian is a good sci-fi movie and definitely worth a watch. It's an evolutionary improvement over earlier Mars films like Mission to Mars and Red Planet, which lacked this movie's compelling characters and strong script. However, thereThe Martian is a good sci-fi movie and definitely worth a watch. It's an evolutionary improvement over earlier Mars films like Mission to Mars and Red Planet, which lacked this movie's compelling characters and strong script. However, there are several surprising letdowns, particularly coming from a great director like Ridley Scott. There are a few too many comedic moments that rob the dramatic weight from key scenes, particularly at the climax. Watney's joking tone plays well when it's cast as a coping mechanism for the vast problems that he faces, but it takes us out of the moment when he's cracking jokes while others are risking their lives to try and save him. And towards the end Mission Control starts to feel like a gag reel, with them as the butt of every joke. A little more dramatic tension and a little less slapstick would have made this movie great.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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7

jppl1999Oct 4, 2015

If you see the theme behind it, it follows the exact same base as "Gravity": someone lost in space... alone. It gets to be something repetitive, and it is not an Oscar winning movie such as they way in which, in my opinion, its predecessorIf you see the theme behind it, it follows the exact same base as "Gravity": someone lost in space... alone. It gets to be something repetitive, and it is not an Oscar winning movie such as they way in which, in my opinion, its predecessor did, but the thing that makes this movie unique is its originality. It reaches a whole new different level of feeling through the action of survival, and even though there some mistakes if looked through the point of science, the drama and intricate emotion behind each situation transforms it, in maybe not an unforgettable film, but one of the best space films from the last years.… Expand

8 of 13 users found this helpful85

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7

anichelsJan 10, 2016

Mulled it over, and settled on a 7.
Many scientific principles need to be distorted in order for the movie to progress - I thought that Matt Damon did a fairly good job, and he's the only reason the movie even deserves a passing grade. LovedMulled it over, and settled on a 7.
Many scientific principles need to be distorted in order for the movie to progress - I thought that Matt Damon did a fairly good job, and he's the only reason the movie even deserves a passing grade. Loved the fact that he was able to make a potato farm and survive as long as he did because of his background (conveniently) in botany. Loved how he communicated figured how to communicate with NASA, but that's about it.
NASA is headed by a bunch of idiots, China all of a sudden becomes a massive charity. Donald Glover is a physics nerd who introduces the "slingshot" maneuver, which apparently is a revolutionary concept (not).
All in all - was an OK movie, had good and bad bits.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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7

AliceofXOct 11, 2015

What I liked about the film was that, unlike the book, it had more
gravitas. You felt the seriousness of Mark Watney's situation. It had
more emotion and more human character. The film also had less swearing and crude humour, and I neverWhat I liked about the film was that, unlike the book, it had more
gravitas. You felt the seriousness of Mark Watney's situation. It had
more emotion and more human character. The film also had less swearing
and crude humour, and I never thought that I would ever be saying that
about a book.

But the film also inherited some of the books flaws. My biggest dislike
is that it lacked a sense of time. You didn't feel just how very long
he'd spent on Mars, you were just told that. And I think too much time
was spent back on Earth and it really took away from the sense of
isolation that should have been there.

My final big flaw is the uneveness of the film. I didn't like the
beginning of the film as it felt rushed and they were just cramming
everything in. The ending however I loved. It was exciting, nerve
racking and everything you'd want out of a movie like this.

Matt Damon did a great job in correctly portraying everything that was
likable about Mark Watney. And it's just nice to see a smart person
that isn't another House-esque smug, arrogant Genius. The rest of the
actors did a good job as well.

Overall I think I liked this movie better than the book. It's very
recommendable.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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7

Darkly_TranquilOct 2, 2015

The Martian is a highly enjoyable, energetic, and skillfully made adventure/drama film that cleverly balances its tension with humour and human drama and keeps the audience engaged through its 2 hrs 15mins with a rollicking pace and likableThe Martian is a highly enjoyable, energetic, and skillfully made adventure/drama film that cleverly balances its tension with humour and human drama and keeps the audience engaged through its 2 hrs 15mins with a rollicking pace and likable performances from the cast. Starring a strong ensemble cast of excellent actors who all deliver in their roles, and directed by sci-fi veteran Ridley Scott, the film is technically proficient in all aspects of its production, with high quality visual effects and production design. About the worst that can be said about it is that it feels a little lacking in character background and development; we meet the characters and see what happens to them, but we never really get to know them very well.

All in all, it is a well made, entertaining, and surprisingly family friendly sci-fi film that is well worth a watch.

nb. I saw it in 3D and didn't feel like it added anything to the film.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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7

FilmPhonicOct 5, 2015

In the latest addition to a genre he helped to revolutionize, Ridley Scott seems to have been influenced by recent Sci-fi fare in crafting a surprisingly lightly toned adventure/drama with distinctly dry humour, ‘The Martian’ might be Scott’sIn the latest addition to a genre he helped to revolutionize, Ridley Scott seems to have been influenced by recent Sci-fi fare in crafting a surprisingly lightly toned adventure/drama with distinctly dry humour, ‘The Martian’ might be Scott’s most enjoyable film in years without being weighed down by anything too profound.

Thanks to a combination of striking cinematography and stunning Jordanian locations, plus 1st rate production design of everything from costumes and technology to the vehicles and interiors, ‘The Martian’ has a flawless aesthetic in no small part driven by Ridley Scott’s meticulous attention to detail.

The narrative is kept simple and effective but the adaptation from Andy Weir’s novel loses some of the tension and thriller element while retaining its other defining qualities, Matt Damon delivers a compelling but not too dramatic lead performance supported by a strong ensemble cast, with Michael Peña stealing the comedic limelight for his second blockbuster of the year.

Perhaps the most defining element of the film’s success it the abundant humour and self-assured moments of levity in situations which are often stale in traditional sci-fi drama, thanks to a generous sprinkling of comedic moments and a retro soundtrack worked into the narrative, we often felt like we were watching a less flashy ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’.

Indeed the tone of ‘The Martian’ is somewhat of a departure for Ridley Scott which might be welcome by those who’ve been critical of his recent work but may be an issue for diehard fans, there’s no great tension or sense of real jeopardy, the film always feels optimistic and ultimately ‘The Martian’ is a mildly sentimental but thoroughly engaging tribute to scientific endeavour and an ode to the human spirit of exploration.

The Bottom Line…
A welcome change of pace from Ridley Scott results in a visually stunning and highly enjoyable Sci-fi survival drama with a distinctly comedic edge, perhaps a little lacking in emotional depth and originality, but with a well-executed light tone and solid performances ‘The Martian’ is an engaging space adventure with wide appeal.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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7

FilmGobOct 2, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to survive and return to Earth.

Based on a best-selling novel by Andy Weir, The Martian is directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Drew Goddard. The cast is stacked with Matt Damon as the stranded astronaut, his NASA bosses which includes Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean and Kristen Wig. The rescue crew features Jessica Chastain, Michael Peña and Kate Mara among others. With so many big names, it's amazing how well the characters are portrayed and the amount of time spent is measured just right for each.

As always with Ridley Scott, the visuals are stunning, from the lifeless yet beautiful landscape of Mars, to the high tech rovers and space stations. Still, practical sets and effects aren't ignored. The original musical score flows wonderfully in the background, a touch of 'Alien' here and there.

There are highs and lows, moments of triumph (growing potatoes) and helplessness (the base entrance malfunction and explosion), but overall the film is more feel good adventure than a typical bleak sci-fi drama. The comedic dialogue, not often the case with recent Scott projects, was surprising. Science heavy at times but not too distracting. Tension is regularly relieved by the witty Matt Damon, Ejiofor and his team, even the soundtrack plays it's part with classic disco hits and of course some Ziggy Stardust too. It all results in the runtime of over two hours flying by with it's perfect pacing and by the end of it, i actually wished for a bit more.

However the tone at times became super cheesy, such as the Chinese space agency who come to the rescue with valuable technological assistance, and the eye rolling scene of thousands of people cheering in the streets of England and China during the rescue mission being televised around the globe, it felt silly and odd.

Overall, it's not a masterpiece, but The Martian is an entertaining, weird mix of science and laughs that somehow works well without the need for predictable blockbuster cliches.… Expand

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

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7

DanglejewelsOct 14, 2015

A slow start just like the book a little tech heavy with basic math Zzz. 30 minute blocks slow/ 100 percent better/ 50% lower / 100 % better...Watchable

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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7

BritishWolfOct 19, 2015

Great cinematography, gripping special effects, and an interesting story with engaging characters. If you've ever watched Gravity, it's like that with Matt Damon on Mars.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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7

barney1892Oct 16, 2015

Smart movie, I've loved Damon's organisation, deduction and his force of surviving in every way. Great interpretation and good idea. I didn't like the ending, it's too fast, and too much prevedible.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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7

Duke_NukemOct 9, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Space fans are being spoiled nowadays, what with Gravity (2013), Interstellar (2014) and now The Martian (2015) coming to the cinema. I liked Gravity because it felt close to reality, while Interstellar was more of a sci-fi movie with in my opinion too much emotional drivel. So how is The Martian then?

Visually this movie can be compared with the movie Gravity. The views on the planet Mars are spectacular and almost everything that happens feels realistic, except for the ending of the movie. The disco music, ABBA, David Bowie... is a nice touch because it clashes so much with the setting on an alien planet far away in space.

The main thing this movie is missing though, is some psychological tension. After a big sandstorm astronaut Mark Watney is left behind on Mars by his crew, yet all he does (after taking care of his belly wound by operating on himself) is immediately putting his thinking cap on and finding these smart solutions. There is no panic or fear whatsoever to be detected in him. he just feels confident as ever and starts the first potatoe farm on Mars.

This makes the viewer less involved emotionally and there's never any doubt that Watney will make it in the end. The constant switching from the planet Mars to earth, where the people of NASA are working on a solution to get Mark Watney back, takes away any feeling of abandonment or solitude of a man being left alone on another planet.

The Martian has a positive vibe and it's nice to have some comic relief in the story. As soon as I saw Kristen Wiig from Saturday Night Life and Jeff Daniels from Dumb and Dumber, I was waiting for them to start making comical faces and talking with a silly voice. But luckily it didn't get that far!

Matt Damon as Mark Watney is his usual dullness. I could never appreciate him much as an actor, it seems he can only do the typical american action hero boy and he has only one facial expression. Just as in Saving Private Ryan (1998) he has no emotional reach: "Oh my brothers died? That sucks... well, back to business I guess. Let's kill some german soldiers!"

The Martian is not a bad movie by any means and can be enjoyed as a light hearted family movie. I rate it 7 out of 10.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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7

DFur1Oct 6, 2015

A wind storm destroys Matt Damon's shelter on Mars. Really?! After they make a big deal about the lack of an atmosphere and his struggle to make air. Only his acting ability carries this dog past the finish line, but only barely.

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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7

DanielwWhiteOct 18, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Martian was a good movie with interesting story line and characters. The problem is that the ending was predictable and they movie was very long (+2 hours). I wouldn't want to watch it again, once was good enough.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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7

piplupOct 20, 2015

"The Martian" is a breath of fresh air in a movie world that is reminding me of a self-absorbed teenager, desperate to show everyone how cool he is, how many cool things he can do and how awesome he can be, rather than making good movies."The Martian" is a breath of fresh air in a movie world that is reminding me of a self-absorbed teenager, desperate to show everyone how cool he is, how many cool things he can do and how awesome he can be, rather than making good movies. What I wished however, was that "The Martian" was more about surviving on Mars and less about "MUST-RESCUE-MATT-DAMON". The rescue mission is a theme used far too many times, and this movie would have been at least a 9 if it took time to tell the story, slowed down the pace, and used the amazing potential it has, that a scientist has to figure out how to survive on Mars. I mean, it only took 54 days before he had contact with earth. Wasted opportunities. Assuming that criteria is fulfilled, what would have made the movie a solid 10, would be to cut out all the political NASA/USA/China bull crap, that is just so unnecessary and leaves you wondering why this is relevant, when you could be watching Matt Damon trying to solve his survival situation.

Despite the many failed opportunities to make this a regular masterpiece, it is a well-crafted movie, that doesn't show off, as you could feel its relative "Interstellar" doing. Where "Interstellar" was all about bragging about all the cool space-effects, "The Martian" is more about telling the story of the science behind putting men on Mars. I still wished they would have emphasized on that, and cut out most of the sub-plots, that really blurs the plot.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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7

Erroll1980Nov 6, 2015

The movie is a complex yet simple taste of cinematic dreamery. It provides the audience with a smooth balance of character and atmosphere. It radiates imagination. It radiates the future.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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7

Nickmal104Nov 17, 2015

Good not Great. Matt Damon is awesome, but too many characters make this film suffer from any development. Weirdly paced. Shot very well, but compare this to other recent space films like Interstellar and Gravity and this one doesn't quite stack up.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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7

moothemagiccowJan 30, 2016

It followed a formulaic pattern of quickly surmounting seemingly insurmountable problems with little display of effort, but it was still a pretty cool movie. It felt like the nicer, optimistic version of Gravity.
It bugged me the whole timeIt followed a formulaic pattern of quickly surmounting seemingly insurmountable problems with little display of effort, but it was still a pretty cool movie. It felt like the nicer, optimistic version of Gravity.
It bugged me the whole time that there was a dude called Kapoor and he wasn't Indian.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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7

AquaMorphJan 14, 2016

This is a very fun movie. It does a good job of balancing comedy with dramatic tension. The cast is fantastic together and it has the creative genius of a good Ridley Scott film. The screenplay did an excellent job adapting the book and IThis is a very fun movie. It does a good job of balancing comedy with dramatic tension. The cast is fantastic together and it has the creative genius of a good Ridley Scott film. The screenplay did an excellent job adapting the book and I think this is one of the rare times where the movie is better than the book.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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7

TheShrike222Jun 11, 2016

Beautiful visuals and lots of interesting problem-solving. I liked that they saved fully articulating Matt Damon's philosophy of how to survive until the end. Damon did a good job with the material he had. However. The story is RobinsonBeautiful visuals and lots of interesting problem-solving. I liked that they saved fully articulating Matt Damon's philosophy of how to survive until the end. Damon did a good job with the material he had. However. The story is Robinson Crusoe with MacGyver thrown in. I didn't like Crusoe when I read it years ago and every move treatment I've seen hasn't changed my mind. I watched the whole movie, but came away with that Robinson Crusoe feeling. I could have watched the first half hour, skipped to the end and missed nothing. This is not a criticism of of the actors, directors or crew. They made a beautiful movie. I just wish people would stop using this particular plot. It was old in 1719 when Daniel Defoe wrote it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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7

DovahKJul 2, 2018

Me hizo sentir solo, agobiado y angustiado, de verdad que sientes la soledad con la película y el miedo de estar totalmente solo en un planeta que no es el tuyo.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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7

DawdlingPoetNov 23, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a science fiction and adventure drama film, with themes covered including exploration, peril, hope and mutiny. Its fairly slow paced (understandably so, I thought), with some good visual effects - I imagine this would have been quite impressive if viewed at the cinema - it certainly looked impressive on my smaller TV screen. It is fairly immersive and thus atmospheric as well. I liked how the viewer sees things from time to time from the in-built space capsule's camera, as if viewing his activities from a cold and scientific type of viewpoint.

Some of the music used is pretty space-y, new age style at times, while other music tracks are very much retro disco in style (believe it or not). That aside, the film definitely has quite a futuristic feel - you could argue that the selfish element of the plot is sadly reminiscent of current society, given how much emphasis people often put on themselves (often, not always of course). I thought it did have a surprisingly uplifting element to itself and its fair to say that the fragility of humanity, of life and so on is quite well put across. There are also quite sobre aspects of the plots, possibly not the ones you may expect, I wouldn't want to provide spoilers but lets say that sadly too much emphasis is put on public relations. I'd go so far as to say its somewhat thought provoking.

Cast wise, Matt Damon plays Mark Watney, the astronaut aka 'man left behind'. He comes across as very knowledgable and with a quite scientific mind but also headstrong and determined to do all he can to increase his chances of being re-discovered. I found myself feeling quite sorry for him, for obvious reasons and hoping for a good outcome. Other members of his team include Melissa Lewis, played by Jessica Chastain, Annie Montrose played by Kristen Wiig. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Vincent Kapoor, who works for NASA as the director of the mission Mark is involved in, while Sean Bean plays Mitch Henderson and Jeff Daniels plays Teddy Sanders, NASA's Chief Director. The cast played their roles well - I thought it was well cast.

Content wise, there are some instances of mild innuendo's and mild to moderate profanities and there are some ocassional scenes featuring injuries, with a bit of blood shown but no very graphic detail present. Some scenes obviously feature an element of peril and threat, which younger viewers (predominantly children) may find somewhat frightening or disturbing but otherwise there's nothing obviously likely to disturb or upset people. Due to this content, the film has been given a 12 rating.

Normally I'm not very keen on sci-fi type films, especially if its predominantly set in space but I found this surprisingly watchable as I was curious to see what the ultimate outcome would be for Mark. It definitely does have somewhat a sterile feel to it but I felt it worked in its favour somehow. Oh yes and of course a certain Mr Bowie does also feature in the soundtrack, although perhaps not quite the song you might expect.

Yes I would recommend this film as I felt Matt Damon did well in portraying an interesting character and while the plot is far from entirely original, I felt it featured decent visual effects and it did well at portraying humanity, the fragility of it in a somewhat sterile setting or way. Its hard to explain precisely but I found it surprisingly watchable and quite engrossing and I suppose it is potentially quite thought provoking, so I'd recommend it on that basis.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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7

VirtualnerdMar 28, 2023

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not the best movie I've ever seen, but certainly better than most of the crap that comes out nowadays. The story was good, and the characters were believable. I'd say that there are some moments where it takes itself too seriously, but for the most part, the tone is good.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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6

JacobOct 3, 2015

The Martian is ok. The scenario of being stranded on Mars is intense and there is a real tension of how Mark will survive and get home as long as you have neither read the book nor seen the trailers, which show everything. This film is fueledThe Martian is ok. The scenario of being stranded on Mars is intense and there is a real tension of how Mark will survive and get home as long as you have neither read the book nor seen the trailers, which show everything. This film is fueled by tension and if you know the outcome that’s gone. What could make the film work though is if the characters were developed but they aren’t. Without the constant sarcastic/humorous narration from Mark Watney the film is all right. Also, gone is the science fiction element as Mark will frequently solve problems without explaining the science behind it. This is the third fall space spectacle film we’ve gotten and its starting to get tiring. When Ridley Scott saw Gravity he should’ve done what Seth did when he saw how similar We’re the Millers was to his idea for Ted 2 and scrap it. The Martian is a conventional film that may satisfy general audiences but lacks anything special. This isn’t any grand comeback for Ridley Scott and all it does is take away attention from the superior page turner book, which is rich with science fiction elements.… Expand

6 of 28 users found this helpful622

All this user's reviews

6

RaygirlOct 2, 2015

Good movie, but DEFINITELY not as good as Prometheus, Blade Runner, etc. Lots of cloying Ra Ra let's- all-rally-around "Independence Day" moments, too much emphasis on how long he can live without food (making a big deal of a few extra daysGood movie, but DEFINITELY not as good as Prometheus, Blade Runner, etc. Lots of cloying Ra Ra let's- all-rally-around "Independence Day" moments, too much emphasis on how long he can live without food (making a big deal of a few extra days when people on hunger strikes can live for months!) when water and oxygen are much more vital. Really unbelievable "fixes" using plastic and duct tape (on a blown airlock) on a planet whose temperatures and atmosphere are much more extreme than earth's. I am a Sci Fi fanatic and actually enjoyed Tom Hanks in Castaway much more than I did this movie.… Expand

2 of 12 users found this helpful210

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6

gfnyOct 6, 2015

Matt Damon turned in a good performance, Jeff Daniels was weak or miss cast for his role. Direction was also well done. The elephant in the room was the story line that was so unbelievable as to be a distraction to the film.

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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6

MouthofSauronNov 3, 2015

'The Martian' is well-filmed and it boasts a talented cast, but the film is ultimately a disappointment. It's plagued by cliche and bad dialogue. We never have a chance to connect with anyone, even Matt Damon's character. There's no emotional'The Martian' is well-filmed and it boasts a talented cast, but the film is ultimately a disappointment. It's plagued by cliche and bad dialogue. We never have a chance to connect with anyone, even Matt Damon's character. There's no emotional connection because we have absolutely no idea who these astronauts are when the film begins, or when it ends. There's little to be emotionally vested in and nearly no sense of urgency (even though the film is based entirely on the idea of urgency). If you're interested in science and space, you might find this film interesting. But if you're looking for something compelling, move along.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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6

AxgrinderNov 21, 2015

I waited several weeks to go see The Martian because showings at my local theater kept selling out. I figured it must be pretty good if so many people are going to see it. So, how good was it? Well, uh, on Sunday mornings after church letsI waited several weeks to go see The Martian because showings at my local theater kept selling out. I figured it must be pretty good if so many people are going to see it. So, how good was it? Well, uh, on Sunday mornings after church lets out there tends to be a line of people waiting to get a table at the local Village Inn. But I wouldn’t say that V.I. has great food, and I can’t say that this is a great movie.

So, why are people flocking to see it? Maybe it’s because the Astronaut-stranded-on-Mars storyline is fascinating. Maybe it’s because the general public equates the name Ridley Scott with good science fiction films. Maybe it’s because it’s the kind of movie that the whole family can go see. But, to the experienced movie goer, the proffered fare is plain, a bit pasty, and ultimately not very satisfying.

Why? First, the movie isn’t very scary. There is no edge of your seat tension like there was in Gravity. Second, and possibly worse, the movie has a MacGyver like quality to it. Stranded and alone on Mars, Matt Damon faces insurmountable problems of survival at nearly every turn, but is able to overcome them with a little duct tape and plastic sheeting. Third, the acting isn’t very good. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Matt Damon play an astronaut, and he isn’t as totally miscast as was last year in Interstellar but, he continues to solidify his image as his mid-level range actor. Despite being totally all along with little hope of being rescued, he isn’t able to convey that edge of sanity sense of aloneness or desperation that Tom Hanks does in Cast Away.

Even though Damon mostly pulls off his role, all of the other casting choices regarding the principal cast are highly questionable. Jessica Chastain just isn’t convincing as the allegedly grief stricken “leader” of the astronaut crew leader. Jeff Daniels is both typecast and sleepwalks through his role as the Director of Mission Control, and Kristen Wiig looks completely lost as a NASA assistant. Lastly, Kate Mara is a throw-in, who is poor utilized and whose character is under-developed.
I walked away from this movie thinking it “wasn’t bad”, but the longer it lingers in my stomach the more I wish I hadn’t bothered to ingest it in the first place.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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6

AxeTOct 4, 2015

With heavy hitters like Ridley Scott and Matt Damon, it's understood the field of play will be on the highest of levels. The high concept novel adaptation had me at hello. Loved the Mars vistas, not so much all the silly dialogue. A bigWith heavy hitters like Ridley Scott and Matt Damon, it's understood the field of play will be on the highest of levels. The high concept novel adaptation had me at hello. Loved the Mars vistas, not so much all the silly dialogue. A big popcorn pleaser like this needs the humor sure, but it went too far here and took away from what could have been a more serious dramatic adventure picture while still being fun and playing some comedy. Not to mention the movie is extremely predictable. Put it this way, I give "Gravity" and "Castaway" each 9 out of 10.
A note on the 3D: while it started off good and in your face, that quickly dissipated as with ALL these big 3D releases that don't push the medium nearly far enough as I complain about on here over and over! Without giving anything away, there's a scene at the end that flat out blows the so obvious tailored use of depth that it's just freaking unbelievable these directors and studio execs still don't get it at this point! Stay 2D if you are afraid to push it! "Gravity" is about the only major movie that did in the last several years! Look, we don't want to wear the stupid glasses for no reason, not to mention paying the 30% up-charge per ticket! You want to be subtle? Ah, that would be called 2D! I saw it via the Dolby process at the DGA in Hollywood, so it wasn't the venue, I can sure as hell tell you that! I bet Zemeckis went for it with "The Walk". Review coming up right here next…… Expand

5 of 18 users found this helpful513

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6

szszszOct 6, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In comparison to the book, the movie is very shallow and its completely ripped off of the core of the story - the desperate will of surviving in deadly environment by a smart scientist.
All the science behind Mark's moves is gone.
All the though processes are gone.
Almost all of engineering done in the story (rebuilding stuff around to buy yourself more time) is gone.
Everything just happens, like Mark was prepared by his NASA training for such a situation - and the most interesting part of the story, which if i remember correctly is something like first 30-40% of the book is just compressed to first 15 minutes. Literally.

As a movie itself - its good. Sceneries are great, view of cosmos is breathtaking. Music is great. Acting is good. It builds the tension even if you totally know the plot. Would definetely tell a casual movie watcher to go and see it. But if you are a little bit of a science geek - just read a book.

And its not 8/10. Not if we are supposed to rate a book in the same 1-10 scale.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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6

RobertOBrienOct 11, 2015

None of the cast members are able to rise above average with their performances, the characters aren't the most endearing, and the visuals (While done incredibly well) have been done to death, and the depiction of outer space in a film noNone of the cast members are able to rise above average with their performances, the characters aren't the most endearing, and the visuals (While done incredibly well) have been done to death, and the depiction of outer space in a film no longer impresses. But I have to give the film credit that the last scene is very intense, and that throughout the entire 2 hours and 20 minutes that this film runs for, it is not once boring.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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6

phasemasterOct 8, 2015

The Martian shows great promise, but ultimately fails to rise above the fray of platitudinous dialog and Matt Damon's inability to actually be as charming as he thinks he is. The film is at its best at the very beginning, where there is aThe Martian shows great promise, but ultimately fails to rise above the fray of platitudinous dialog and Matt Damon's inability to actually be as charming as he thinks he is. The film is at its best at the very beginning, where there is a true feeling of impending doom. But it soon devolves into triteness thanks to poorly written and underutilized characters played by great actors like Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean, and Kristen Wiig.

Even Jessica Chastain (as the Hermes mission commander that left Matt Damon's character stranded on Mars) valiantly struggles to deliver lines that the audience saw coming an hour ago.

Although the film manages to be fairly entertaining, it fails to capture the intensity of similar movies like Gravity or Apollo 13--even though the main character is stranded several million miles further away from Earth. It's a disappointing effort for Ridley Scott, who seems much better at directing a fantasy/horror movies situated in space (i.e. - Alien and Prometheus) than the dumbed down quasi-realistic fare that is The Martian.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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6

HolaMrReyesOct 8, 2015

Like the Tom Hank's character is "Castaway," Matt Damon's character in "The Martian" eschews philosophical and spiritual issues despite facing great dangers to his life. I may be old-fashioned, but there is something truly unrealistic aboutLike the Tom Hank's character is "Castaway," Matt Damon's character in "The Martian" eschews philosophical and spiritual issues despite facing great dangers to his life. I may be old-fashioned, but there is something truly unrealistic about a character facing certain death and employing nothing but rocket science to get out of the mess he's in.… Expand

8 of 14 users found this helpful86

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6

AriesrOct 31, 2015

The trailer ruined the experience giving too much away.
The human interactions at Nasa and the hermes were too short and polished making them almost clinical. This was likely the fault of the director as opposed to the script itself.The trailer ruined the experience giving too much away.
The human interactions at Nasa and the hermes were too short and polished making them almost clinical. This was likely the fault of the director as opposed to the script itself.

Overall, devoid of depth in order to reel viewers in. Halfway through I got bored and drifted. Other mars movies were better at engaging audience.

Very well produced in terms of the main character trying to survive and levereging resources around him on the planet. Attention to detail in creating the survival capsules , rover and instrumentation.

The main character brings a sense of humour to the predicament with little sign that the isolation is getting to him.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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6

RatedRexJan 7, 2016

The Martian

You rated this movie: 3.0 Rate 5 stars Rate 4 stars Rate 3 stars Rate 2 stars Rate 1 star . "The Martian" was decent. The problem? it was too predictable. There was never a time when I didn't guess what wasThe Martian

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"The Martian" was decent. The problem? it was too predictable. There was never a time when I didn't guess what was about to happen. There was no real suspense. Matt Damon's performance was good (but not Oscar worthy), The screenplay was decent (but a little too science conscious). And the direction by one of cinema's all-time great directors, Ripley Scott, was by-the-numbers efficient. Yet, there was not a realistic feel to it all. The players seemed like actors rather than real people. Did any members of the crew fall in love? Did Damon ever get mentally crazed, being alone, with little to do, for so long? Were there protesters among the people, who might have felt that the billions of dollars spent to save one life could have been used to benefit thousands of lives? It just seemed as if the scope of the story was too confined. I left the theatre with a ho-hum, I've-seen-this-all-before attitude, and thinking: this could have been better.… Expand

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6

LepstrungJan 31, 2016

Ok film but clearly just fairy tale. If anyone would be left in mars alone he would die. No matter who it would be. Not Matt Damon, Katy Perry and not even Schwarzenegger. Well maybe MacGyver.

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6

crsharpe2Jan 18, 2016

The movie is good, definitely not great. It has good acting, the CGI and cinematography is awesome, and there are some entertaining moments. However, way too many cliche moments, and it seems that Ridley Scott's world view and understandingThe movie is good, definitely not great. It has good acting, the CGI and cinematography is awesome, and there are some entertaining moments. However, way too many cliche moments, and it seems that Ridley Scott's world view and understanding of human emotion is at shallow and trite as you can get. This is the type of movie that portrays people as "all good" or "all bad", without any shades of grey. Not only is that approach inaccurate of the real human experience, it makes for a so-so plot. There is never any real suspense within the movie because all the characters are apparently super smart and can overcome any technological or geographical obstacle. Also, the use of humor by Matt Damon's character was distracting, and again, eliminated any possibility of suspense.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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6

night4Jun 19, 2016

Matt Damon's acting feels really lazy in this. But I have to admit, he's still better than most actors out there when he's lazy.

I appreciate that the movie isn't just staring at his face for 2-3 hours, like I feared it might be. It didMatt Damon's acting feels really lazy in this. But I have to admit, he's still better than most actors out there when he's lazy.

I appreciate that the movie isn't just staring at his face for 2-3 hours, like I feared it might be. It did include some other moderately interesting characters, even if it was stupidly predictable.

Also, the tone seems odd to me. It's as if he knows there's no real danger to himself and he'll live because he's the hero of the story.

Finally, it's waaay toooo friiiickin loooong.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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6

annbdJul 22, 2018

Let's do the critic here. :) F****** hate this Matt Damon guy. So annoying proudly face, that I want to punch. I will never know why they choose him in potential movies. This guy is not for the cinema. He would be better in poster for someLet's do the critic here. :) F****** hate this Matt Damon guy. So annoying proudly face, that I want to punch. I will never know why they choose him in potential movies. This guy is not for the cinema. He would be better in poster for some fashion agency with some arrogant sullen-looking type of guy. Anyways, if the protagonist was played by different actor like Matthew McConaughey (who have already proofed, that he can make it in space :D) or DiCaprio (who we see can beat even the nature in The Relevant :D). This guy will be good for a role of gym maniac, who is training all day long and is dumb.

For the movie I could say, that it has interesting idea. Obviously, a lot of money has been invested and this explains the almost perfect directing. But the soundtrack is not well selected - it's bad. Not just annoying songs, but we have to listen to several attempts with flat jokes, that do not fit the atmosphere at all. If the movie was made a little bit more seriously and if there were no Matt Damon, than it would be maybe 9/10.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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6

FilipeNetoJan 29, 2021

I confess that I was not very impressed with this film. Presented as a space drama, I thought it would be something more tense than it is. And although it was also advertised as a scientifically accurate and credible, I confess that I was notI confess that I was not very impressed with this film. Presented as a space drama, I thought it would be something more tense than it is. And although it was also advertised as a scientifically accurate and credible, I confess that I was not very convinced, but I will not discuss it either.

This film has a simple script: in the future, a mission manages to set up a space base on Mars, but has to retreat in haste when a heavy storm catches them by surprise. During the withdrawal, one of the elements is picked up by debris and disappears. However, he survives and begins to rebuild the base and try to stay alive and communicate with Earth where, however, and by chance, they discover he is alive. After some communications, NASA decides that the remaining elements of the expedition, already on their way to Earth, have the right to know what is going on and to take part, if they wish, in the effort to rescue him.

Ridley Scott doesn't seem like a competent director for a film like this. I think it gave the film a tone too light, removing drama and tension. There are some moments, closer to the end, when he still tries to reverse it, but he can't and the climax is bad, although the film ends up decently entertaining us. Growing potatoes on Martian soil is something that would never have crossed my mind. I don't know how easily it would work, even if it is possible. Surviving in inhospitable places is never easy, especially for someone who has never had to, and if that is valid in our world, it would be even more valid on a strange planet. Ignoring all this, based on a theory and forgetting how difficult it is to put into practice, the film makes everything easy to do and, instead of a tense life or death situation, gives us a vacation in a Scout camp on Mars. Oh, and it is obvious that China, a dictatorship led by a madman with ambitions to control the world in the same way that he controls the life and freedom of his people, had to appear and show how, at the right time, it is capable of saving everyone and being essential to democratic countries.

The cast's work is quite good. Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain are the main protagonists of this film and have put a lot of effort into their characters. This is quite obvious, and to be expected from two talented actors as they have proven themselves to be. Matt Damon, in particular, impresses his character with sympathy and seems to be a kind of "our friendly neighbor". Sean Bean also shone in his role, and makes a good counterpoint to the character of Jeff Daniels, who excels at the arduous task of becoming an obnoxious NASA director; Donald Glover, Kristen Wiig, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan and even Chiwetel Ejiofor made a positive contribution, but the film is not theirs to shine.

Technically, the film is extraordinary and had a budget to bet high. So what we have is an extraordinarily realistic set, costumes and props, combined with superb cinematography, where Mars looks beautiful, sharp and convincing. All the visual effects and CGI are good and combine very well with the rest. The soundtrack is within the expectations, in a film that does not seem to be taken seriously.… Expand

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6

akshatmahajanOct 1, 2020

I was expecting more from this movie. It was directed by the famous Ridley Scott but he was not able to give what we were expecting. It's so frustrating when so many people like and praise a movie that really doesn't deserve it.

There are soI was expecting more from this movie. It was directed by the famous Ridley Scott but he was not able to give what we were expecting. It's so frustrating when so many people like and praise a movie that really doesn't deserve it.

There are so many non-sensical depictions of the physics of space travel. The script seems written more by market researchers than a screenwriter. The pacing is not good. Film slows down at many points and is unnessarily stretched. It could have been shorter, it didn't deserve 2hr 30min runtime. Matt Demon's performance and special effects were good. Only, these two things were good in the whole movie.

Overall, I am not saying that it is a bad movie but it had a lot of potential and could have been made better.

Overall, I am not saying that it is a bad movie but it had a lot of potential and could have been made better.… Expand

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6

JJ2FAS4UJan 4, 2022

----------------------------------6.2/10-----------------------------------

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5

BarnyJan 2, 2022

In light of the recent productions, this is by far the most plausible sci-fi movie produced in the past years. Deserves a 5. Still miles away from Kubrick's 2001.

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5

TyranianSep 8, 2019

Visually strong and Damon does a decent job but the writing is pretty average at crucial points.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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5

likeitisOct 17, 2015

This is the 1000th time I've been sucked into a "great movie" only to fell like regurgitating my popcorn. Too much geeky NASA farfetched explanations for success. Predictable computer special effects. Average pretending(acting) expectedThis is the 1000th time I've been sucked into a "great movie" only to fell like regurgitating my popcorn. Too much geeky NASA farfetched explanations for success. Predictable computer special effects. Average pretending(acting) expected ending. Save your money.… Expand

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5

SmoothrunnerNov 14, 2015

Excessive, boring flick in the "firm" SciFi style of scientific optimism of the first half of the XX century. Hackneyed plot, flat characters, predictable ending. Plus Scott's traditional senile tediousness, that more and more progressedExcessive, boring flick in the "firm" SciFi style of scientific optimism of the first half of the XX century. Hackneyed plot, flat characters, predictable ending. Plus Scott's traditional senile tediousness, that more and more progressed after the "Gladiator." It looks like Ridley falls in childhood or in senile, fixating on a certain (worthless) ideas and neurotically repeating them from film to film. Perhaps the flick is only good out to watch it before going to bed, as a sleep aid.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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5

NathanAllenOct 12, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Honestly this wasn't terrible it just fell flat. The acting was pretty flat, the soundtrack was very flat.

I feel like someone told the actors that all scientists and engineers are typically emotionless human beings. All of the NASA interactions in the first half of the moving are just not engaging. It does pick up in second half and overall I would have been happier with the movie except for the nonsensical end.

The Good: Overall the movie was smartly adapted from the book. I think all of the sections removed were smart decisions that would have taken forever to narrate and been really hard to depict. Matt Damon did well. Kristen Wiig did a good job with her character, wish she could have had a little more time.

The Bad: The acting and actors. I don't think Chastain was a great pick for Commander Lewis. I would have liked to see someone a bit more hard edged. It seems like Vogel is only German so that he can say Mein Gott instead of My God at one point. I'm not sure if Jeff Daniels was actually awake.

The Ugly: The point where Hermes crew finds out Watney's still alive is a huge up of celebration and then a huge down of Lewis admitting she left him behind, and I didn't get any of that at all from the scene. It just went straight to Lewis being down. That was a failure of acting and directing.

Vincent Kapoor instead of Venkat: The long winded explanation of father religion and mother religion then the punchline, which seemed almost whispered, was far less effective than just having the character being Hindu.

Donald Glover as Danny Pudi's Abed as Rich Purnell.

The final scene. Wow was that dumb. Matt Damon leaps from a spinning capsule after cutting a hole in his suit he can't control. You can see the thrust going all over the place (like Lewis said it would) and yet he surprisingly stays right on course. And then of course the hole seals up when it's no longer important and no one seems worried that all of his air is venting to space. It just flies in the face of a novel that was compelling because it was accurate. And they didn't have any dumb departures from reality like this the whole movie, then to do it at the end, when it wasn't even necessary or that engaging?

Overall it was entertaining. I wouldn't watch it again.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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5

looomOct 24, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mediocre film with Political correctness reaching states of absurd. Ive read a reviews which were trying to compare it to Odyssey /Interstellar - they couldn't be more wrong. There is no drama, film does not encourage you to thinking, its just another film that you "watch and forget". Its a cliche of all possible known films about a man on island alone. Think about being in empty space alone - do you think that it would not harm you ? What about psyche? It was so funny when woman commander together with crew decided to spend another year or two in space - just as a fun... Whole film was so predictable - last 60 minutes been suffering by incredible dull rescue action which could not fail... and the last speech in astronauts college ( or something like that) .. Transformers was more intelligent . Regarding to political correctness - black genius astrophysicist in his 20s is rescuing whole mission, brave woman commander, Mexican technician... Is Ridley going for sponsors in White House ? I`ve nothing agains that however here it was so far-fetched...… Expand

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5

KlotzNov 8, 2015

To make it short: Simply disappointing and over hyped.
What could be a intense survival drama is an overly long, unrealistic and awkwardly "funny" mess.

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5

marc5477Dec 29, 2015

This is one of those rare movies where they took a turd of a plot and turned it into a good movie. Lets face it, the plot was boring and we should have been yawning through the whole movie but somehow... I kept watching scene after sceneThis is one of those rare movies where they took a turd of a plot and turned it into a good movie. Lets face it, the plot was boring and we should have been yawning through the whole movie but somehow... I kept watching scene after scene without falling asleep. The directing and writing was very good and Matt Damon played his role well enough. But ultimately nothing could save this movie from being another unoriginal survival story with yet another Hollywood portrayal of scientists as being borderline idiots. I mean... another gravity slingshot solution? Really? This is semester 1 physics level problem for Petes sake and has been done dozens of times in TV shows and movies. But what was enjoyable was the dialog between Matt and NASA and watching how one would survive on another planet should it ever happen. Maybe I was so interested in the science of colonizing another planet that it kept me up through the movie. I am not sure honestly but this is no masterpiece and the reveiws are clearly bloated. At best, this is an average flick.… Expand

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5

zurnzurnDec 26, 2015

Script thinks it's funny, clever, cute, and exciting. It is none of these things. Luckily, the pace moves just quick enough that it's not a total loss.

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5

TributeManDec 13, 2015

Gdyby nie Dariusz Wolski, Marsjanin byłby tylko kolejnym bardzo słabym hollywoodzkim filmem.

Na szczęście ujęcia Marsa są niesamowite i dzięki nim czuć to osamotnienie, które czuje główny bohater. Efekty specjalne i muzyka dopełniają sięGdyby nie Dariusz Wolski, Marsjanin byłby tylko kolejnym bardzo słabym hollywoodzkim filmem.

Na szczęście ujęcia Marsa są niesamowite i dzięki nim czuć to osamotnienie, które czuje główny bohater. Efekty specjalne i muzyka dopełniają się nawzajem i na prawdę na tym polu Marsjanin wygrywa z większością produkcji z tego roku. Niestety dialogi (osób znajdujących się na Ziemi) są BEZNADZIEJNE! Aż nie chce mi się wierzyć, że to film Ridleya Scotta. Zero oryginalności, przerysowane emocje i irytujące postaci.
Polecam przeczytać książkę. Jest o niebo lepsza i przynajmniej pokazuje dlaczego na Marsie jest prawie niemożliwym przetrwać bo ten film nie za dobrze to pokazuje.
5/10… Expand

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5

moviecritic68Oct 6, 2015

Really ???? Another movie which is grossly overrated. When yours truly falls asleep in the middle of the movie do I need to really explain. For the life of me I don't get all these good reviews unless they just like Matt Damon movies orReally ???? Another movie which is grossly overrated. When yours truly falls asleep in the middle of the movie do I need to really explain. For the life of me I don't get all these good reviews unless they just like Matt Damon movies or previous Ridley Scott films. Casting was poor in my estimate ( Jeff Daniels ) director at NASA pleaseeeee. Here is a tip ..... if a new release is being over advertised before the open date beware.… Expand

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

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5

MadMaxFuryRoadOct 5, 2015

The Martian is worth seeing if you really love space-science movies, but otherwise... It can wait on DVD. I was really hyped up about the film given the reviews of humor and smartness. The film really handled the jokes very well, and at timesThe Martian is worth seeing if you really love space-science movies, but otherwise... It can wait on DVD. I was really hyped up about the film given the reviews of humor and smartness. The film really handled the jokes very well, and at times could of extended to a R-Rated movie. Also, I really enjoyed the first half of the movie. But that was about it... The last part really seemed to drag until its final act, and it really disappointed me during the last half excluding the ending. The ending was great though, and I felt like if the movie had just ended at 1 hr. 31 min. like Gravity did, it would have been a lot better. However considering that, this film was much better than Interstellar, and you might like it or not. It really depends on your tolerance for really long space movies. Also, I was surprised by the amount of people in my theater:
80ish people at a 6:15 showing on Monday non-3D? Wow.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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5

Douglas56Oct 7, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A heavily over-hyped film that fails to deliver in any department, except perhaps special effects. The problem is fundamentally due to director Ridley Scott's silly adaptation of a 'nerd thriller' that compromises both scientific authenticity and story-telling charm to create an sci-fi adventure that is neither believable nor entertaining. The film pays serious attention to detail in matters such as food and water supply for The Martian yet depends on an increasingly improbable series of mishaps and 'heroic' acts to move the plot along. Surprisingly corny dialogue, lame soundtrack, forgettable acting by the supporting cast and a succession of action-adventure cliches (including that old stand-by: the kitchen-made bomb for blowing the hatch) confirms Scott's fading reputation in this genre. Let's hope NASA does better when the real thing happens.… Expand

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

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5

OkiepokiesmokieOct 3, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I didn't read the book and I'm not particularly into science. I'm very interested in space topics, though, so I thought I'd at least enjoy it. Sadly, I really did not.

For a movie about such a truly horrific and desolate situation, I was shocked that its tone was highly upbeat for 90% of the movie.

I found it lacking in tension, emotion, and character development. I thought it was much longer than it needed to be. There were times I was really truly bored. When the last montage came on, I felt myself drift off. There were so many montages.

The stakes for Mark's survival were never very high. He didn't appear to have much of a family at home that he missed (he asks Lewis to send his love to his parents once, but that's it), everything seemed to go very well for him in general. He always had a perfect solution for everything, he was basically super human. The isolation of his situation raree showed in his character. He got a bit huffy once when something broke and he was a bit emotional when he was finally being rescued, but he showed none of the signs of a person completely isolated for a year. He had no development and no attachments.

The sense of humor throughout felt cheesy to me. I cringed a lot. The jokes were like a what a 35 year old science professor picked up from a few months on the Internet. The use of curse words as humor is only funny if you're very young. I can't believe I'm seeing praise for that.

I thought the supporting characters were soulless. When asked if they would spend another bunch of years in space to return for Mark, not a SINGLE one objected? Everything in this universe existed for Mark and no one else. He was the universe's priority

Donald Glover's character was bizzare, he existed for cheap, immature laughs.

One thing I will say is, it built a bit of tension when they were finally executing the rescue, but ultimately those scenes left me missing Interstellar and Gravity.

Overall, I really don't get the hype. This movie was boring, often cringe-worthy and lacked tension. The protagonist was cocky, didn't have many emotional attachments to earth and was smarter than everyone else.… Expand

15 of 26 users found this helpful1511

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5

Reagan0Oct 12, 2015

Time for the dreaded "mixed review"

I'll say right now - if you love space movies, Mars, science, astrophysics, NASA, or anything related to these things, this movie will become your new favorite. There's not a doubt in my mind. It veryTime for the dreaded "mixed review"

I'll say right now - if you love space movies, Mars, science, astrophysics, NASA, or anything related to these things, this movie will become your new favorite. There's not a doubt in my mind. It very sincerely pushes the boundaries of what films have explained of astronomical science. It does what other movies have not in this regard, I'll absolutely give it that.

As for me, science was my worst subject, so a lot of the impressiveness this movie simply must contain goes right over my head.

And yes, I do understand it on the same level I understand a movie like Interstellar, except even more because the physics and the "botany" and such is explained on a very personable level. However, it doesn't work for the same reasons Interstellar might not work. The entire movie is an _estimation_ of how you could go about a Mars rescue. That is why people go to see it.

As a result, there's not much else keeping the movie going except constant scientific explanation. I was definitely expecting something a lot more thrilling going into "The Martian", a movie where you have to **** rescue Matt Damon from Mars' deathly atmosphere from thousands of miles away in space. Maybe I'll stick with some other film in that regard, because this one doesn't cut it at all. The tone of the film is a dead giveaway – Matt Damon will come home safe and that the movie will stretch its own boundaries and possibilities just to make that happen. And I won't give away a big twist in the middle of the movie that makes you doubt it, but in retrospect, even that wasn't good enough to fool me. It was never a matter of "if" Matt Damon was gonna come home, it was a matter of when and how. The how was pretty interesting, the when was incredibly tedious.

Another reason why you might love this movie is that there's lots of character development – IF YOU'RE A SCIENCE GEEK. As for me, I don't get the characters at all. Matt Damon is supposed to be some kind of hardcore, pushing-the-limits scientist. The other scientists have a billion inside jokes with each other that are completely dumb, but it's supposed to be in an "aww, their relationships with each other are so adorable" kind of way. It doesn't work for me at all.

I know and knew many young people who are into science and are in Harvard and UF and other schools studying this stuff right now. I know they will love this movie because it's custom-tailored to someone who thinks about the stuff the movie talks about all the time. It's for the Neil DeGrasse Tyson generation. It is not for anyone else, as far as I can tell. I did not really enjoy it. There are movies like it already in existence that are better at what they do in every area but the science.

One more thing: If you think the People's Republic of China's government would actually share a secret with the United States to save one person, you clearly don't know Chinese history. That's probably the most disappointing deus ex machina in film history Reagan0 out.… Expand

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

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5

PeterayOct 19, 2015

Mediocre movie... The first half was entertaining and interesting. However, the story and characters were corny. The characters had ZERO FLAWS and EVERYONE was unrealistically selfless and compassionate. The producers grossly embellished theMediocre movie... The first half was entertaining and interesting. However, the story and characters were corny. The characters had ZERO FLAWS and EVERYONE was unrealistically selfless and compassionate. The producers grossly embellished the compassion of humankind to the degree of a fairy tale.

For example, the astronauts all agree to extend their mission in space by OVER 500 DAYS while understanding it is unlikely they will succeed - or even make it back alive. Yet they all agree to sign up for this greater good without even 60 seconds hesitation. (Yeah, okay, and nobody ever thinks of themselves, right? Not to mention their families and responsibilities back home). YEAH RIGHT... One character receives flak for this decision from his wife who, over a Facetime conversation, while holding their small child, expresses her disapproval. Yet when the astronaut holds up a little toy for the child to see, the child smiles and all is right with the world... COME ON.

I also find it hard to believe the Chinese government would spend billions of dollars and declassify their space technology to help save the life of an AMERICAN astronaut. (You see how they treat their own people lately?). I'll do Hollywood a favor and make it more realistic by believing the PRC is only doing it for bargaining power at the next United Nations Security Council conference. You know, like political currency. I understand though, Hollywood, this is a nice feel-good movie with a happy ending.

Moreover, the movie was over an hour too long. What didn't help is after it was already getting long (and I was looking at my watch) the characters then explain they'll be in space for another 500-something days, we are then to REALLY prepare for a long movie. OH GREAT, I thought. I went to get a snack out of boredom. (So go to a theater with reclining seats, you may want to nap).

In closing, this movie was a corny, entirely too long, rehashed stock plot of astronauts go to space, once is left behind, everyone helps him get back home. Similar to that Sandra Bullock movie and about every other space movie. Luckily I had free passes so I didn't waste any money. I'd skip it if I were you.… Expand

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5

StatlerWaldorfOct 27, 2015

For all of its Damoniness, The Martian plays like a well done TV movie based on actual events. The strangely large cast makes for scant and shallow appearances for every character. I don’t even think I know Mark Watney and supposedly theFor all of its Damoniness, The Martian plays like a well done TV movie based on actual events. The strangely large cast makes for scant and shallow appearances for every character. I don’t even think I know Mark Watney and supposedly the premise is “The Mark Watney show—on Mars!” I didn’t read the book, but as an adaptation I am guessing this is lazy, in the sense that they didn’t bother changing anything, just compressing everything in equal measure until only the brochure remained. Damon, Chastain, and Daniels play what they have well enough to seem like real characters, Wiig and Glover are odd choices for miniscule roles written with watercooler-level humor. Spoiler Alert. On Mars and Earth there is only one joke: Mark Watney is alone on Mars. Is it not funny when I say it? Don’t worry, the movie will redeliver it 9 or 10 times, I’m sure one of those hits the mark. The events roll out exactly as you expect them, the only surprise being the soundtrack—oh wait—two jokes. There are two jokes on Mars and Earth. Damon is fine but the best scene is a deleted scene where he watches the part of Interstellar that he is in. As it turns out that part of Interstellar is better than both The Martian and Interstellar. How is that possible, you ask? The fifth dimension.… Expand

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5

YorkManJan 9, 2016

A distinctly average sc-fi film directed by one of the best directors of their generation, Ridley Scott, and starring Matt Damon in the lead role.
Damon is amiable enough in a tale of a man left behind when a mission on Mars is 'scrubbed'A distinctly average sc-fi film directed by one of the best directors of their generation, Ridley Scott, and starring Matt Damon in the lead role.
Damon is amiable enough in a tale of a man left behind when a mission on Mars is 'scrubbed' due to an impending sandstorm/heavy winds which appears to be strong enough to destroy their habitat.

It's not a bad film, it's just.... Well, average. There's no real suspense, we know the guy will survive (despite the suggestion of peril and the possibility of death), we know there'll be a 'God Bless America'-style, sugary epilogue.

Visually impressive, well acted and (in the wake of Guardians of the Galaxy) featuring an eclectic disco/dance/synth soundtrack, it has some funny moments. But it's in no way a classic movie, which a lot of critics seem to think it is!… Expand

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5

zeronavigationDec 25, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I had high expectations going to this movie, but was surprised to be disappointed already 3 minutes into the beginning of this (overrated) movie. As some others did over here I'll gladly display some of my thoughts on either Pro's and Con's.

Pro's:
- Matt Damon - although his character was pretty bland in my book, Damon seems enjoyable to watch most of the times.
- Science - from the many enthusiastic friends who watched this movie, many comments were about the science behind it. "Everything's made to be just right". And I agree this takes more than just a lousy story maker, it's nice to know what boundaries a movie is limited to and why. Same principle's for the Mars landscape, which is actually placed in Jordania.

But there's really more negative points, I've experienced, watching this movie.

Con's:
- Story: the story could actually be alright , although it's badly performed. Little suspense is created by changing from different perspectives (Earth, Mars, some-where in between) so that the viewer already knows what's going on before disaster will strike. In contrary to others who watched 'The Martian', I genuinely believed Mark would die whilst making the leap for a safe return. But either way, doomed or ready to re-live, there's little on the way to an outcome that will make you consider changing thoughts. O yes, Mark's little garden explodes (although it happens within a minute after someone from Earth questions whether he will make it without any setbacks). And he overcomes them with so much ease it seems, because the next moment we're 7 months ahead and he just lost some weight but is still in perfect mental (and physical) condition. And why is it we see him eat during most of his conversations with himself/the webcam?
And what's up with all 'political' bull**** happening on Earth? This movie is supposed to be about surviving Mars, not surviving boring conversations of people in nice suits. And why is the geeky girl who 'controls' the satellites in so many of the scenes on Earth, while an eccentric kid who just thought of a excellent way to get back to Mars faster is shoved off the podium. So little is gained from 'experiencing' all the hustle on Earth, and although it's nice to see for once China is involved in all of it, what point does it prove except for a second multi trillion dollar chance to free a human from Mars.
- During his long, long stay on a deserted planet, with ravish winds keeping you from sleep and the immediate danger (as explained) when some of your little eco-system just shuts down, Mark Watney is just another heroic optimist with lack of any character development. From the beginning of the movie, where there's a (not-so) funny conversation to set the relationship between the characters, until 3 months later, they just start where they left off: with 'jokes' and all, to saturate the general public. Even on the moment of reunion, little tears are shed. I want to see more frustration and anger, more joy with little things conquered. More 'Mark Watney' screen time would be a step in the right direction. Instead of just stating he wants to go home, give him a really good reason to do so, and make him viable in our minds.

Anyway, there's plenty more from where this came from. It's just so upsetting this movie has so many errors in it to be enjoyably.… Expand

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The Martian

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