Review of The Martian (2015) by Jacob — 02 Oct 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 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.