Scott Brings Forth His Astonishing Talent

Rating: 7/10 (21 October 2015)

'The Martian' is a hard film to analyse and critique. When a film is already held with reverence how can one hope to accomplish their goals? 'The Martian' was not the masterpiece I had been told to expect. Yet it is entertaining nonetheless that fails when drawn up in comparison against '2001: A Space Odyssey' and in more recent years; 'Gravity' and 'Interstellar'.
Astronaut Mark Watney is having a bad day. He is stranded on Mars, help only 140 million miles away. He will have to put his survival skills to the limit as he tries to figure out how to survive on Mars and make contact with NASA so that he can eventually go home.
Unfortunately, 'The Martian' is a troubled film. Its main problem is Matt Damon as Watney or rather just the character himself. In a film of this type, essentially a survival story against the backdrop of space you need a compelling and likable character to reach out and root for. Watney comes across as a snide and arrogant person, far too sure in his approach for his own good. Remember when characters used to have arcs, a la Phil in 'Groundhog Day', he changed from insufferable to a good person. The same cannot be said for Watney, which makes it increasingly hard for me to like him. I've said it a great many times and I will say it again. If the main character does not grab my attention, why should I care?
Tone also remains a flaw. Should I really be laughing in a life or death situation? Would Watney be as cynical and witty if he knew for sure that he was not being observed? I doubt it.
Still there's plenty of fun to be had with 'The Martian'. Especially if you are far more forgiving than I am. There are terrific performances across the board, most notably Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The production design is astounding and the sets are creative and well thought out. The cinematography is gorgeous and highlights the vast wonders of Mars and how truly alone Watney is in this savage wasteland.
'The Martian' could be termed the last chapter in the unofficial space exploration trilogy that began with 'Gravity' and 'Interstellar'. 'The Martian' may not possess the tension of 'Gravity' or the wonder of 'Interstellar' but it makes up for it with sharp scientific knowledge and an interesting take on the genre. Even if it's not my favourite film from Ridley Scott, it's a hard film to dismiss and dislike at the very least.