The Martian- Almost Perfect

Rating: 7/10 (2 October 2015)

With a tremendously exciting plot and stellar star cast, The Martian proves to be another feather in Hollywood's cap in terms of visual spectacularity. The third magnum opus in the space department in as many years, after Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity(2013) and Christopher Nolan's Interstellar(2014). The trailer looked real bad-ass and the idea of a human being stranded on a far away planet, presumed dead, was enough a reason to rush into theatres. It didn't disappoint, but it could have been better.
The master of grandiloquence, Ridley Scott, was in a spot or so after a couple of dull movies. He's right back on the map with 'The Martian'. An adaptation of Andy Weir's novel of the same name, the story deals with astronaut and botanist Mark Watney who is left stranded on Mars after a fierce storm forces his team to abort the mission and run for cover.. err cover is only 140 million miles away. So for the next few minutes, all we see is Mr. Lonely alone on a planet of 140 million square km area. (Thank God the man is Hollywood's most bankable actor, for Matt Damon makes it not only watchable but enjoyable). The rest of the star cast play their part pretty well with their limited screen times. Jessica Chastain has come a long way from catching Bin Laden to commanding the Hermes on its Mars mission and is always a treat to watch. It's a pity that Irrfan Khan had to back out of the movie as he would have been an excellent fit as Vincent Kapoor, although Chiwetel Ejiofor does a fine job himself. The movie remains gripping throughout its entire runtime of 141 minutes. That the story is scientifically/factually correct and plausible unlike some of Scott's previous Sci-fi offerings makes it unique and exciting.
The only little hitch is that it struggles to adapt the book in some capacity. The story seems rushed in parts giving a feeling of incompleteness. You cannot help but notice the obviousness that a lot of important part is skipped out in order to fit in. The emotional touch fails to connect to an extent to which it should, given the situation. The epicness of the primary plot has a reduced impact than expected. That said, certain concepts and ideas are refreshingly innovative, something that is a constant requisite in a Sci-Fi movie.
The climax seems a little clichÃ©d and over the top, but overall the movie is worth every bit of its 2 hours and 20 minutes. Not to mention a must see for all the nerds and geeks who can later scratch their heads over possible goofs and plot holes.
Final word- Interstellsar>Gravity>The Martian. (Although if given a choice between Gravity and The Martian to watch again, I'd choose the latter).