An excellent movie with fun thrills, exciting moments, and humor to keep the audience interested

Rating: 9/10 (8 October 2015)

Directed by Ridley Scott, The Martian takes place in the year 2030 on the planet Mars. The United States launches a manned mission to Mars to collect information about the planet. After a unexpected storm, the team leaves astronaut Mark Watney behind as they believe he is dead. However, NASA soon finds out that Watney miraculously survived and is living on the supplies leftover from the aborted mission. With increasing pressure from the public to bring "the martian" home, NASA initiates an ambitious search and rescue mission to bring Watney safely back. Alongside NASA's efforts, Mark's fellow astronauts plan a near impossible mission to get their crew mate back. As the story unfolds, the world watches carefully to see whether or not Mark Watney will make it back alive.
Mark Watney and his crew mates are millions of miles away from home when disaster strikes. Watney is all alone after a disastrous storm takes hold. As the stranded astronaut begins to ration his food, he looks for other ways to survive. Being a botanist, Watney grows his own food and lives in solitude for years waiting for help. As the days go on, Watney faces immense challenges threatening his very survival. Plans for a rescue mission finally begin to take shape when NASA teams up with international organizations for help. With the combined efforts of NASA and his crew mates, an ambitious rescue plan successfully brings him home. Throughout the film, the plot is clear and concise. There is no confusion as to what is happening at any part of the movie. The bits of humor added into the dialogue kept the audience attentive throughout the film. Each character has their own distinct personalities which remain consistent throughout the movie. Melissa Lewis, the captain of the space exploration, remained determined the entire time to bring Watney back. Mark Watney remained fixated on surviving throughout the film. All the characters in The Martian remained the same from start to finish. Being a space enthusiast, it was also very interesting to see the hypothetical situation in The Martian unfold. As I watched the movie unfold however, I found the movie to be quite predicable in its outcome. It was never dull or dragged out, but I wish the producers included a turn of events that threw the audience off guard. It was always a question of "when will it happen" and never "what will happen." Nonetheless, I found the story line to be captivating, holding my interest for the full 2 hours.
The acting throughout the movie was excellent. Matt Damon portrayed Mark Watney beautifully. Damon is an established actor who has played in many movies such as the Bourne series, Good Will Hunting, and even Saving Private Ryan. Matt Damon has also played other space movies such as interstellar and Elysium, but acts particularly well on the set for The Martian. Matt Damon accurately portrays Watney through a story filled with fluctuating emotions. Supporting actors and actresses such as Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, and Jeff Daniels also portray their characters equally well. The Mars exploration team had to wear space suits which I found were very detailed, adding to the realism of the movie. Ridley Scott, the director of The Martian, films the landscape in Wadi Rum, South Jordan. Mars has a red landscape, composed of rocky and mountainous regions. I found Wadi Rum to depict the landscape on Mars very accurately. I found this setting to be very persuasive, leading the audience to believe that Mark Watney really was all alone on a planet millions of miles away.
The cinematography in The Martian was mesmerizing, going well beyond the expectations I had prior to the movie. As the audience watched Watney struggle through life on the deserted land, the movie's sharp and distinct cinematography brought out Mark's dark and unpleasant situation. Through each fighting moment, the camera's portray Watney's will to stay alive. The visual effects are incredible, bringing the audience into a world of the unknown. I also really enjoyed the appropriate music for each and every scene. The orchestra was a delight to listen to, keeping the audience entertained throughout. With a strong portrayal of characters to supplement breathtaking music, The Martian incorporates gorgeous cinematography which grasps the audience.