Five Reasons To Watch Ridley Scott’s ‘The Martian’!
Imagine this: you get sent up to planet Mars for a mission with your crew. Then a storm hits and you’re forced to evacuate the planet. You get left behind on planet Mars all alone in the shitstorm because your crew assumes that you’re dead. You’re not ready to die just yet, so you give surviving on planet Mars a try with whatever you’ve got.
Reminder: this is in space, you’re on Mars, and you’re alone. You think you’ve got what it takes to survive?
Gif from moviepilot
Probably not, unless you’re a botanist and a genius with a great sense of humor. Otherwise, we’re sorry to say that you’d be dead in no time.
The Daily Seni got the chance to watch the premier of The Martian last week and now we’re here to share our top five reasons to watch the film. But before we begin, here’s a summary of the film.
Based on a best-selling novel, The Martian stars Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film is set to open on the 1st of October.
Now that you’ve got the gist of the film, we give you our out-of-this-world list for you to catch The Martian.
1) Because Ridley Scott
Aliens, Thelma & Loiuse, Blade Runner, Gladiator, American Gangster… these are some of the films directed by the renowned Ridley Scott which made it into the Top 100 Films To Watch Before You Die. We’re hoping that The Martian ends up on that list too.
It’s clear that he knows what he’s doing in the director’s chair and it takes a genuine master craftsman to take a film as complex as this and make it look so effortless. It’s been a while since Scott has done a film this great and we have to say, what a great comeback!
2) It’s More Than Just A Sci-Fi Movie
It’s not just your typical science fiction with over-the-top CGI and bad acting. The Martian is the ultimate survival story.
Mark Watney is placed under unimaginable isolation, and the movie is about how he responds to unimaginable circumstances. His fate is determined by whether he succumbs to panic and despair and accepts that he’s going to die, or choose to rely on his resourcefulness and sense of humor to keep him going.
You might assume that it’s going to be another sci-fi drama consisting of lots of feels, but you’d be surprised that it’s actually quite comedic. In The Martian, Watney’s humor becomes a coping device, enabling him to keep himself sane through dire isolation.
The film however doesn’t focus so much on the painful struggle of having to survive. In spite of the constant stream of obstacles coming Mark’s way, it’s his optimistic spirit that really is the highlight of the film.
What’s also amazing about the film is that it’s a three-tiered narrative. You’ve got Mark Watney who’s trying to survive on Mars, the crew of the mission that’s floating further from their missing member, and NASA having to deal with their astronaut that’s stuck on Mars. Each minor character has their own story arc which elevates the entire fable.
3) Science
The topic of science and space has never been so fascinating to this writer until this film came along.
Watney is a botanist and mechanical engineer, and is sent on the Mars mission to study and take samples of the soil, hopefully to learn more about its composition and the feasibility of growing crops. He has the knowledge and training to find ways to survive. He believes it will likely be three to four years before the possibility of rescue.
In man versus nature scenarios, the smart money is usually on nature.
James L. Green, Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA, assisted the filmmakers with depicting the science and technology in The Martian since NASA saw potential in promoting space exploration. Various experts at NASA served as advisers for the film.
As he says in the film’s most memorable line, “I’m going to have to science the shit out of this”.
Gif taken from
4) Mars Has Never Looked So Amazing And Horrific
Space CGI can go wrong sometimes due to poorly done research.
Scott’s attempt at visualising the surface of Mars worked and was stunning. As mentioned in our first point, he’s a director that knows what he wants and how to get it. Helping make things look as realistic as possible was NASA, who assisted Scott and his vision of the film to make sure he’d get it as accurately as he can.
All in all, The Martian was visually spectacular in showing the beauty of a planet and all the horrors that lie on it.
5) All These Top-Notch Performances
Matt Damon plays Mark Watney, and he didn’t seem to exaggerate or try too hard to be funny. Damon is the key to the movie’s exuberance.
Playing NASA’s PR was Kristen Wiig whose quirkiness through all the seriousness surprisingly worked, showing her versatility — she can do a lot more than comedy. As for Jessica Chastain, who portrays Commander Lewis (such a well-written character), let’s just say she’s another important element in the legacy of Ridley’s remarkable female characters.
As for the rest of the star studded cast — let’s just say that the choice of actors suited their roles like a perfectly fitted glove. Nuff’ said.
The Martian is nothing but enjoyable to watch. It will have you at the edge of your seats, it’s got the right amount of humor to balance out the feels, and its paced consistently. Highly entertaining and probably one of the best films of 2015.
The Martian will be released in cinemas on the 1st of October.
Leave a Response