{"id":3636,"date":"2015-10-04T19:18:49","date_gmt":"2015-10-04T19:18:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/?p=3636"},"modified":"2015-10-04T19:18:49","modified_gmt":"2015-10-04T19:18:49","slug":"the-martian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmgaze.com\/blog\/action\/the-martian\/","title":{"rendered":"The Martian ****"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"the-martian\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI am the greatest botanist on this planet\u201d, says Mark Watney, a NASA astronaut who\u2019s been left behind on Mars \u2013 presumed dead \u2013 as the only living soul. The ever-likeable Matt Damon convincingly plays Watney in another standout role, just that like that of Jason Bourne in the Bourne<\/em> saga.<\/p>\n

Watney\u2019s line is one of the many in this gripping solo delivery and would ordinarily seem corny in a big blockbuster but demonstrates a playful comedic theme that runs right through director Ridley Scott\u2019s new space epic, The Martian<\/em>. The story\u2019s intriguing contrast is the serious subject matter of Watney\u2019s situation verses his positive can-do attitude and will to survive that render his situation more accessible to us and \u2018lightens\u2019 the mood.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say Scott\u2019s sumptuous cinematic spectacle \u2013 one of his best in a long time – doesn\u2019t pull any action-packed punches and rack the tension sky high when needed. Indeed, The Martian<\/em> comes with a surprising number of nail-biting moments that Watney encounters then resolves to the best of his ability \u2013 and with some devilish, sarcastic wit. There is also the daring grand finale that stretches credibility somewhat but works.<\/p>\n

Back on Earth, NASA boffins and chiefs try to figure out how to get him back \u2013 or face an international PR disaster, much along the lines of many a space disaster movie such as Apollo 13<\/em>. The fascination here is not mechanical fixes as such, but botanical ones \u2013 the first movie of its kind to relish the appearance of the humble potato. Apart from our curiosity about possible survival on Mars, it\u2019s the very fact that Watney uses his environment and man\u2019s \u2018space junk\u2019 to make Mars inhabitable that makes The Martian<\/em> something different from the rest of the space disaster bunch.<\/p>\n

Damon does not act entirely alone \u2013 albeit in parallel – in the film, getting some tremendous support from the likes of Jessica Chastain (Watney\u2019s compromised commander), Jeff Daniels (NASA chief) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (another harassed NASA big-wig who has to find operational solutions). There are even some commendable performances from Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, Michael Pe\u00f1a and Kate Mara to name a few that each serve their purpose to bolster the storyline.<\/p>\n

In fact, nothing, it seems, human or inanimate, goes to waste here, making The Martian<\/em> a very satisfying watch and a return to the Scott glory days.<\/p>\n

4\/5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

By @FilmGazer<\/p>\n

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