Another great sci-fi offering in this decade

Rating: 9/10 (11 October 2015)

I don't like sci-fi films that much, but these days we have films, which what I thought to have a good combination of creativity and realism such that they are too good to ignore. Both "Gravity" and "Interstellar" have been considered iconic films in this genre, and this year, we have another one, albeit not as iconic, under the title of "The Martian". Although it doesn't have the technical novelty in the same degree as that of "Gravity" or the edgy plot that we have encountered in "Interstellar"; nonetheless, "The Martian" manages to be as amazing. The plot is simple, but yet we are treated with a good, if not impressive, execution of the simple and subtle things in the story. It is simple yet brainy. The story basically deals with the humanity's way of solving problems in order to survive. Solve the bigger problem by decomposing it into smaller problems, and then solve them one by one until you have solved enough problems that will probably enable you to survive.
It revolves around a scientific expedition to Mars, which was unfortunately hampered by the inaccurately predicted Martian storm. That storm was strong enough to destroy their launch pad, and this forced the crew to leave the Martian research unit. However, during the untimely evacuation, a crew member was hit by debris and was left behind. He was presumed dead, but was later discovered alive through the satellite images received by the Earth. The surviving crew was already on their journey back home when they learned that he was still alive. However, they were facing a difficult logistics problem for his rescue, given the expensive space mission and the distance between Earth and Mars. It would take at least a year at best for a supply or rescue to reach the planet, and perhaps, by that time Mark Watney was already dead.
The film focuses on the survival efforts - sounds tedious and depressing for a film to depict - but like the case of other great films, the journey was rather engaging and enjoyable, kudos to the performance of Matt Damon as Mark Watney and the achievement by Ridley Scott as director. Furthermore, the experience was enhanced by the excellent use of visual effects and music. Although, the approach can be considered minimalist, the thrills brought by this film are satisfying. I found the survival process in itself enjoyable, and what makes it even more interesting is that it is not all about the efforts of one man alone, but also the efforts of the people in the Earth to bring Mark Watney back home alive. Matt Damon was surrounded by a compelling supporting cast (to name a few: Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels), and of course a compelling combination of different subject matters: astrophysics, rocket science, botany, chemistry, mathematics, and supercomputers.
However, for those who expect a big dose of action and emotions, they may rather find this film disappointing or a bit unfulfilling. There are lots of powerful scenes wherein the director should have managed to bring the experience into full blast but rather chose to "soft-pedal" them. Not bad though, but I thought it could have been more amazing. Moreover, the first two-thirds of the film tried to avoid the cliché often associated with films under this genre, but unfortunately it sort of fell to the "Hollywoodish" formula in the end, e.g. the scene with the big crowd in the New York Times Square. However, I still say it was an amazing film. This is one of Ridley Scott's best, and I wouldn't be surprised if it gets a lot of attention in the awards season.