The Martian is an orgasmic dig into science, unknown territories, top-notch optimism and undying hope.
As the beginning frames of The Martian survival painted the screen with a silent promise of grandeur, the first quotient that riveted me instantly was ‘Hope’. Mark Watney’s undying attitude towards life was really something. His optimistic nature towards survival was commendable. So what adds further icing to this survival tale? Sheer Watney genius!
The Martian is everything a survival movie needs to be. Ridley already had Andy Weir’s brilliant story in his vanguard, and he takes it and moulds it into one helluva beauty. The end result: 141 minutes of awesomeness. It keeps your heart in your mouth, your head attentive so you don’t miss all the useful science jargon, a smile on your face with its great humour whilst keeping you engaged throughout.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Matt Damon is outstanding as Watney. At times it’s like you can almost read his thoughts. He lingers his expressions like an expert and makes you connect instantly. Like one time he talks about his eventuality with a “so, Yeah……Yeah”. His instincts help him tackle every setback. His genius complements his acts. A very practical man, who takes every possibility into account but doesn’t let reality cloud his judgment. This makes you think what if the Martian wasn’t a polymath? Instead a normal human being like us? What would have happened then? Wouldn’t we have, I don’t know, died within a fortnight?
Visuals are rad. The scenic landscapes of Mars and Earth have been framed beautifully. At times the debris in the movie makes its 3D look badass. The screenplay is apt, most of the times shoehorned with Science. The plot is like a tide that makes you rove with its ups and downs. The brilliant brains manifested in the story are quite exceptional too. The flick teaches us a lot of things. The primal one being: never lose hope!
At the same time, Martian makes you feel like a layman. Had you studied properly in school, you would know every little bit they were throwing out there. If you already know something, it would still make you feel you aren’t nerd enough.
I got this sudden urge to build something when I walked out of the theatre. Guess this flick does that to you. 😉
The Martian
Pros
- Outstanding direction
- Brilliant acting
- Stellar Cast
- Epic survival tale
- Stunning visuals
Cons
- A lot of science jargon
- Hard for everyone to comprehend
