The Martian (2015)

"Hi, I'm Mark Watney and I'm still alive... obviously."

It's like 'Cast Away' meets 'Apollo 13'.

When a severe storm hits a manned mission on Mars, Mark Watney is left on the desolate planet alone after his crew members escape, presuming he is dead. 

'The Martian' has all of the elements that should make a great film. Matt Damon in the lead role, Ridley Scott directing and a tonne of cool space stuff. 

Luckily, it delivers on the promise. 

Recently, director Ridley Scott has been a hit or a miss with his new movies but it was nice seeing him return to a smaller film about a man fighting to survive. Granted, he's fighting to survive on Mars but, with that in mind, it's a relatively small and contained film for the most part. The film focuses on Matt Damon's character Mark Watney and his struggle to survive on the lonely planet. No one knows he's still alive and it was really interesting to watch him deal with his new predicament. We experience his highs and lows and watch as he battles the unforgiving planet using his technical knowhow and intelligence. 

Considering that the film is set on Mars, what surprised me about 'The Martian' was how human and relatable it was. It isn't your typical Sci-fi film and it benefits hugely from that. There was a lot of humour in the film, alongside a very likeable lead in Mark Watney. Matt Damon gives a fantastic performance right up to the end and you are genuinely rooting for him to make it, which is rare in a lot of movies recently, and you care about the outcome. It manages to involve you in his struggle through the use of his video diaries (which made a bit more sense rather than him just talking to himself) and really gave you an insight into his character. He's an intelligent botanist who loves his work so it was really interesting to watch him use science to combat the problems of the desolate planet where nothing lives.

The film is long and it feels long but not in a bad way. It comes in at well over two hours but, with a story like this, you appreciate the long running time as you can settle onto the planet with Watney and it makes the build up all the more exciting. I wouldn't say there was a lot of tension in 'The Martian' but it has a lot of "hold your breath" moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  

The way Mars is portrayed in this film is actually really believable and there is a certain amount of respect conveyed for the planet. Sure, it's a desolate and harsh wasteland where nothing can survive but you also see the beauty and the splendour in it. It has been uninhabited for millions of years and you undoubtedly feel the life and spirt of the planet. Somehow I don't think that Matt Damon was actually on Mars so they do a fantastic job in creating Mars and making it look real. 

The supporting cast have their ups and downs. Some great performances from Jeff Daniels and Chiwetel Ejiofor who hold the other half of the plot up very well and some not so great performances from a bland Jessica Chastain and a forced love story involving Kate Mara which was totally out of place and unnecessary. Sean Bean makes an appearance as well alongside a random and strange 'Lord of the Rings' reference that breaks the fourth wall and confused me...

The last act of the film does slightly let it down in my opinion but I won't go into details incase I unintentionally ruin the ending for anyone. 'The Martian' does fall into a few cliché pitfalls but the rest of the film more than makes up the slightly disappointing ending. To cut a long story short, I was just a little disappointed with how it ended after how well it had been going. 

Overall, 'The Martian' is interesting, it's fun and it's exciting. We get to see some really cool science in action and we actually care about the outcome for Mark Watney. The cinematography is unusual and beautiful and the effects are nothing short of phenomenal. Despite the ending falling a bit short, I still undoubtedly enjoyed 'The Martian' and would definitely recommend it. The film really captures the idea of the human spirit and why the fight for life is important.

Although I must say, Tom Hanks grows a better beard in 'Cast Away'.

Love you Tom. You're the man.