Review of The Martian (2015) by Darian T — 03 Oct 2016

This show is about Human Ingenuity and the awesomeness of Science and how nice it would be if we all worked together (awww!), without all the jealousy and politics and whatever. Initially, Sherlin was reluctant to watch but liked it considerably by the end.

===================.

--Script/Direction: B+.

There are several (mildly) amusing moments. I think this film would have sucked in the hands of a lesser director, but space films are old hat to Ridley Scott by now and he does a good enough job with the pacing such that it does not become (too) boring.

--Cast/Acting: B+.

I feel compelled to compare this to last year's INTERSTELLAR, a somewhat similar film, and I must say Mat Damon's astronaut protagonist is infinitely more watchable than Mathew McWhatever's astronaut protagonist. Plus point: this film also stars the loveable Michael Pena in a supporting role.

--Production/Effects: B+.

Some nice rolling shots of the Martian vista, which are inevitably marred by the thought that, "whatever, we all know that ain't real Mars." Nevertheless the space vehicles/space stations/outer space shots still look pretty convincing to the layman's eye.

--Bonus/Bias: +5%.

There are too many films about space and astronauts of late. I'm still a sucker for them as I ever was, but frankly I'd prefer my martians to be of the little green men variety (in fact, anything but boring old homo sapiens sapiens.).