The Inner Will To Survive...Multiplied.

Rating: 9/10 (11 October 2015)

An famous (or infamous for it's amazing distillation of emotion) exclamation crept into my mind while taking in Ridley Scott's "The Martian": "oh, the humanity". Humanity, this is what makes this movie rise above the Sci-Fi norm.. One thing is certain and that is man's humanity is his biggest asset and most vulnerable Achilles heel. Mix in ample helpings of hubris which often sets in motion a chain of events forcing a fierce reckoning - "The Martian" is not a bad reflection of mankind's quest for meaning and progress in the untamed world around us.
For the casual viewer this movie fits within a person's reasonable perspective of something that could be real in the not too distant future. The "real" science, isn't too much of the story told here - it fades into a non-issue for the most part. So, we get a real compelling struggle with maybe not the absolute reality of movie such as Everest, but certainly enthralling.
The story moves linearly with just a few flashbacks that aid one to invest in the characters, especially Matt Damon. His character is one you immediately feel an attachment for, plus his character supported by a stellar bit of well written characters.. This is a better than just good story with a nicely realized cast of characters. A wonderful humanistic long-shot survival story its brought to life engaging the viewer rapturously.
Speaking of Matt Damon, he really is perfect here. It would be hard to imagine anyone, even a young Tom Hanks, being the combination of likable and all-importantly: believable. The viewer immediately is cast in with astronaut Mark Watney's dilemma. Entertaining, but with profound dialogue such as "everywhere I go I am the first person who has ever been here" really bring home the journey of man we are still striving for. In fact, even more than the amazing visuals of a striking Mars a second viewing is likely needed to absorb all the quirks of mankind hidden in plain sight in the dialogue itself. Truly both topical and deep thoughts just as we all experience in this thing called lifeexpertly done as entertainment.
The Martian is not unlike a re-imagining of the Apollo 13 story. It has that unique intersection of the unthinkable, humanity's will to survive, science, and something spiritually up-lifting. It works as entertainment as well as something deeper we all have in our soul. Bravo! Highly recommended.