The Martian
Entertainment

“The Martian” is Out of This World

The Martian was an intense and adventurous movie that seemed so realistic at some points that I felt like I was watching a documentary. Everything from the acting to the graphics was done so well that I sat in the theater with goosebumps from all the beautifully crafted scenes; there was not a single dull moment. Director Ridley Scott made a Mars-tastic movie that allows his audience to be fully immersed in the dangers that astronauts experience in space.

The movie starts off with a NASA mission on Mars, in which astronauts are exploring the terrain when a bad storm hits and they attempt to run to the aircraft for cover. One of the astronauts, Mark Watney (Matt Damon), gets hit by a hard metal object and, when he is unable to respond over his radio, the crew presumes him dead. For their own safety, the team proceeds with their mission and leaves Mark behind.

Later, Mark wakes up to find himself wounded and alone. He starts making video blogs about his survival on Mars and utilizes his skills as a botanist to grow his own crops. The film follows his quest for survival as NASA learns of his coordinates and works to bring him home safely.

It is worth mentioning that the film’s CGI and graphics were out of this world. It legitimately seemed as if I was watching astronauts explore Mars, and the movie’s other sets, like the NASA headquarters and the aircraft fort, were extremely realistic. One scene in particular, in which there is an aircraft flying in space, blew my mind because it actually looked as if they filmed the whole sequence in space. I have not seen graphics this well done since Avatar.

The film was not solely serious and dramatic as one would expect it to be; there was actually a considerable amount of comic relief. This was especially evident in scenes where Mark is talking to the camera, making comments like, “I colonized Mars. In your face, Neil Armstrong.”

My favorite scene is when the commander, Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), is listening to disco music at her computer, and it becomes a recurring joke in which the other characters make fun of her bad taste in music. The part that made me really laugh was when Mark is driving around in a NASA machine and begins to blast “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer because he is burning up from the heater in the back seat, and he bops his head along to the beat.

Damon is one of my favorite actors because he is so versatile, and this movie will go down as one of his greater roles. He did such a wonderful job of carrying the film on his own that it was hard not to praise him for his courage. With any luck, this movie could land Damon an Oscar nomination.

The Martian overall is wonderful movie full of excitement and polished scenes that it’s hard not to like. If you are not doing anything on Halloween, go see it—it’s a treat, and you can still get your candy at the movie theater!

IMAGE TAKEN from ew.com