Following Into The Footsteps Of Gravity & Interstellar, The Martian Is The Space Expedition Of 2015

Rating: Null/10 (1 December 2015)

A fascinating blend of science, action, adventure, drama, suspense & humour, The Martian is a deeply informative, thoroughly engrossing & highly amusing sci-fi epic that follows into the footsteps of Gravity & Interstellar to succeed as the space expedition of 2015 and also marks a welcome return to form for director Ridley Scott, who had been going through a rough patch in recent years.
Based on the novel of the same name, the story of The Martian is set in the near future and tells the story of Mark Watney; a botanist & member of the Mars manned mission crew who finds himself left alone on the red planet after separating from his crewmates during a fierce dust storm. With limited supplies, he has no choice but to science the sh*t out of everything in oder to send a signal back to Earth and stay alive till someone gets there to rescue him.
Directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner & Gladiator), The Martian makes heavy use of all his trademarks and is a far better project that he's undertaken for the story is packs in is more promising than his previous few assignments. Drew Goddard's screenplay intercuts 3 story lines, brilliantly handles the arc of its lead character, and makes fab use of wit as even its bleak moments gleam with optimism, which is refreshing to watch coz it's rarely present in films dealing with similar scenarios.
There's considerable effort involved in The Martian to accurately depict the science behind everything and with NASA on board, almost every scenario is explained in exhaustive detail and each set piece benefits from their added inputs. The microscopic presence of a man on the vast, lifeless deserts of Mars is captured in breathtaking detail by its camera. Editing is a mixed bag for its 141 minutes of runtime & unhurried pace can easily become frustrating for some. And Harry Gregson-Williams' score doesn't add much & is quite forgettable.
Coming to the performances, The Martian features a promising cast in Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan & Chiwetel Ejiofor, and yet it's only Damon who owns the film all the way from start to finish. Dangerously close to being labelled a typecast for playing characters that often get stuck in unwanted places before being rescued by another team, Damon brings everything he has to deliver a wonderfully balanced performance as Mark Watney and while the supporting cast does well, it's Damon who carries the film all by himself.
On an overall scale, The Martian is a visually arresting, scientifically dense & very grounded sci-fi epic about the indomitable will of the human spirit to survive against all odds and also works as an awe-inspiring space adventure, thanks to Scott's assured direction & Damon's heartwarming performance. While it still misses a few steps in the storytelling department, is longer than it needs to be, and not every attempts at humour works out in its favour, the positives outweighs the negatives and its optimistic approach to space travel & exploration, an emotionally rich experience it has in store & stringent focus on human condition despite profundity in its science makes it a cinema that's destined to please its crowd. A thrilling & timely spectacle, The Martian comes delightfully recommended.