advertisement

Smart, optimistic 'Martian' an entertainment supernova

"The Martian" has no romantic subplot. No villains.

The dialogue consists mostly of scientific terms, NASA jargon and mathematical projections. By all rights, this should spell box office disaster.

Nope. Ridley Scott's stunning outer space survival thriller blasts off into the black yonder, hitting us with a kajillion Gs of dramatic pressure and it never lets up until the closing credits.

We could consider this movie to be Scott's "E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial," a celebration of the cerebrum teeming with optimism and hope.

Just as Spielberg's touching fantasy broke from Hollywood's obsession with malevolent space invaders, "The Martian" breaks from Scott's own dark visions of space: "Alien" and "Prometheus."

Also, Scott's drama (written by Drew Goddard from Andy Weir's fastidiously researched novel) presents a politically left bookend to Sandra Bullock's politically right "Gravity," extolling the individual's ability to survive without help from the collective.

If only the filmmakers had waited to shoot "The Martian" until this week, they would have received the latest NASA report that fresh water flows beneath the surface of the Angry Red Planet.

That would be good news for Matt Damon's stranded astronaut Mark Watney, who uses up valuable fuel and oxygen to create water in the film.

Watney, a botanist working with his fellow U.S. astronauts on a Mars mission, gets lost in a sudden storm. His commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) assumes him to be dead and orders an emergency blastoff before the storm destroys their ship.

Back on Earth, NASA officials, led by Jeff Daniel's politically savvy Teddy Sanders, announce Watney's death to a saddened America.

Only later does a NASA employee notice that the equipment on Mars has been mysteriously moved. Watney hasn't been killed at all.

He has awakened after the storm with a piece of metal antenna sticking out of his stomach. Coagulated blood sealed the hole in his space suit and saved his life.

He must figure how to survive for four years (the time for a rescue mission to reach him) on 31 days worth of supplies and oxygen.

"I'm going to have to science the (poop) out of this!" he declares on his daily video journal. And he does just that.

He assembles everything he needs to grow food and create water. He suffers severe setbacks, but never loses his cool or his can-do attitude or his invaluable sense of humor.

"I am the greatest botanist on this planet!" he shouts.

Eventually, Team NASA members - played by Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mackenzie Davis and Donald Glover - establish contact with Watney, but Sanders understands the cold truth that they simply cannot rescue him in time.

But Lewis' crew - played by Chicago's Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan and Aksel Hennie - might have a way ... if they want to add months to their time in space, risk near-certain death and commit mutiny by disobeying direct military orders.

These elements come together with machine-fitted precision under Scott's punchy direction and Pietro Scalia's lean editing, aided by supremely realistic visual effects and Dariusz Wolski's blade-sharp cinematography.

Damon, whose previous spaceman role in "Interstellar" delved into three-dimensional villainy, uses his all-American charm and self-deprecating humor to full advantage here.

True, Damon's hero in this revisitation to 1964's "Robinson Crusoe on Mars" has no Friday to keep him company.

He has something better: smart, educated, selfless peers who construct a compelling portrait of the American character, one that reminds us that the impossible loses its "im" when people of differing colors, faiths and politics simply agree to work together.

Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) draws upon his ingenuity and good humor to survive on a hostile planet in Ridley Scott's “The Martian.”
Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) draws upon his ingenuity and good humor to survive on the Angry Red Planet in Ridley Scott's “The Martian.”

“The Martian”

★ ★ ★ ★

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kate Mara, Kristen Wiig, Michael Pena

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Other: A 20th Century Fox release. Rated PG-13 for language, nudity. 134 minutes

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.