The Martian (2015) User Reviews (1,537)

Tasks for your survival

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 29 January 2016]

Although The Martian is set in an indeterminate future I have questions about labeling it science fiction. One of the film's best strengths is that it is based on what we know about the landscape and atmosphere of Mars right at this point in time. It's a desert planet with water and no life as we know it. Compared to what Matt Damon has to go through, Robinson Crusoe was on that tropical isle for a picnic.

They never really say just exactly what year The Martian is set in. The film in that sense avoids a trap like so many others fall into. Just this past year we saw 2015 come and go and it wasn't really anything like the 2015 that Marty McFly experienced. That's just one example.

Of course you can also never predict what popular trends will be there. That's purely speculative. So you can't have Matt Damon's character listening to current music. His captain's taste in music was 70s disco and that really became a running joke. It's all he heard for the months he was on Mars. Personally I'd prefer a selection of 30s and 40s music with Bing Crosby at the top of my list. But if that's all I heard for months on end, I'd grow to hate Der Bingle.

And that's part of the story, the everlasting boredom trying to keep your mind fresh and busy with tasks for your survival. Like Mr. Roberts from tedium to apathy and always boredom.

What happens in The Martian is that Damon is part of an astronaut team and gets left behind when a Martian sand storm erupts and the crew flees on the space ship. Captain Jessica Chastain takes when she thinks Damon was killed.

The future also brings us better communication and NASA learns that Matt's still there. To say that there's a public relations problem is putting it mildly. Just leaving him there is actually an option discussed. But that goes against the code of a decent civilization which while we're not at Star Trek level yet, we look to be heading that way.

Although The Martian splits time evenly with Damon's plight and the efforts to rescue him, Matt's time alone on the screen with the full range of emotions displayed is what got him his Best Actor nomination. Besides the realistic depiction of Mars, his performance is the other pillar on which this fine film rests. I would give mention to Jessica Chastain and her fine performance as a tough and yet humane leader of her team.

Besides Matt Damon, The Martian is also up for Best Picture and for a flock of awards in the technical categories. It should take home deserved statues this year.

This is a rare, light-hearted science fiction film.

[g-87877 · 9/10 · 28 May 2020]

This is a rare, light-hearted science fiction film that deliberately downplays the most common fears about the future and the unknown universe, focusing instead on human effort and the science that can save humanity.The film has a tech-geek's idiocy and optimism. (Matt Damon, of course, did it perfectly.)Even if the movie is a little bit stereotypical in its emotional setting, it can still touch the audience at crucial moments.

Ridley proving himself once again

[gelmcchristop · 9/10 · 19 January 2021]

Strong, well-executed, moving. Classic Scott-style directing, with its fast pace, yet never leaving emotion behind, keeping you glued to the screen throughout the runtime. Reminiscent of the original Alien, yet clearly proving the director's overall increased maturity and experience. My thoughts on the cinematography are mixed, from the one hand side the movie features a particularly bland color palette, most sequences however are nice, vivid and well-balanced. What strikes me the most is the fact that they didn't account for the reduced gravity on Mars, however not only is the price cut behind this clear, but also you forget it surprisingly easily in the first 10 minutes or so, since everything else is so gripping. The visual effects are simply flawless, realistic to the maximum and beautiful at the same time. The story itself and the characters are simply masterful, not at all out-of-this-world, or should i say the way facts are presented combined with the pacing makes you believe it's all happening at the time you're watching the movie. Though i am probably not meant to make this comparison, it leaves (in my humble opinion) Nolan's "Interstellar", a great movie on its own, completely in the dust, simply proving the effect Scott's experience has had on his work. A must-watch.

pleasantly surprised

[whammo-79346 · 10/10 · 17 January 2016]

Seeing that the movie was over 2 hrs long, and knowing that the person was going to be stuck on the planet by their self for the majority, I didn't have high hopes for it. Usually these types of movies are boring. Not a lot of writers can pull this off. This movie was really good tho. A group of us watched it and really enjoyed. There were some things they failed to explain, that we collectively came up with our own answer for. Other than that, it was great. I never felt bored or left waiting for more. Overall, I feel it was very well written, produced and acted. Well worth the watching. Some people on here have griped that it was 'predictable', but then, most movies are. Who ever watched Star Wars with the thought that Vader would ultimately win??? Who ever watched Star Trek thinking that Kirk wouldn't find a way to save the day? And frankly, who grew up watching Scooby Doo thinking that someone would actually kill Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne or Velma???

Entertaining and slick enough to make you go with it

[bob the moo · 2 July 2016]

I heard a lot about this film regarding its scientific validity as a piece of fiction. Perhaps as a result of this I assumed that the film would be a dry affair – an impression sort of confirmed by the longer than normal running time. As it happens, this is not the case at all because The Martian has much more in common with the entertaining blockbuster that the starry cast list and presentation suggest it will be. The story wears its science very much on its sleeve, but yet makes it accessible and fun – with the slick presentation making it so. As a result everything seems to be explained with everyday objects, and even the most complex principles are presented in simple terms (references to Iron Man for instance). As a result the film gets to have its cake and eat it – although the film is helped by the knowledge of a lot of this being possible (eg hitting a point near Pluto recently with very tight tolerances on a journey of years).

The film itself doesn't really play up the drama in a heavy way, but rather does enough to invest the viewer in it without making it too much of a downer or serious. The soundtrack is hugely upbeat, the content is mostly light in tone, and the science is delivered in a very user-friendly fashion – essentially in the service of the tone and the entertainment value, nothing more than this. The starry cast add to this feeling, and use their screen presence well. Damon is consistently likable, which is just as well since he is alone in the vast majority of his scenes. The ensemble cast has a lot of depth to it, all of which are solidly watchable – Chastain, Wiig, Daniels, Eiofor, Peña, Bean, and so on. The Chinese aspects of the plot serves as another reminder that this film is a blockbuster out to make money, but it doesn't seem too out of place. Technically it looks great and it impressive how convincing the surface of Mars looks.

In the end we get to the fist-pumping mission control scenes that we all knew were coming, but along the way the film is slickly packaged and entertaining as a result; even if the oft-mentioned scientific validity of it all is not something it ever seems concerned with itself.

I Am The Only One Who Was Not Disappointed

[Siebert_Tenseven · 10/10 · 22 December 2015]

Having read the book, and being very impressed, I was looking forward to the movie interpretation. I was not the least bit disappointed. I was hoping this movie would not be an overacted, overproduced and sappy version of the original, and I was pleasantly surprised that the story played out without the overblown extraneous embellishment that Hollywood seems to depend on so often.

It was great to see how the screenplay added extra material that was not in the book, and it enhanced the story to make it even better. The characters were interpreted with full respect to the intention of the author, Andy Weir, and nothing was overdone. The pacing and editing of this movie was some of the best I've seen, in fact, some of the one-liners from the book are done so quickly it pushed the story forward relentlessly.

One thing that struck me is that everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, and I think that could be a testament to the originality and uniqueness of the book. I believe anyone who reads the book is captivated and involved with the story from beginning to end, and it's possible this comes across in all phases of the production; the acting, the sets, sound, everything. They all knew they had some great material to work with and ran with it.

It's hard to imagine Ridley Scott directing a film like this one....

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 28 October 2015]

Ridley Scott is famous for bringing "Alien" and "Bladerunner" to the big screen. Both have huge followings and both are amazing for their time when they were made. Now with "The Martian" he brings a great sci-fi film to us but one with an entirely different mood--so much so that it's hard to believe it's from this famed filmmaker! Why? Because the mood is so much more positive and upbeat--and it's a film that leaves you happy...something you could never say about the other movies!

As far as what I liked about the film and what I disliked, I'll make it easy--especially since there are already so many reviews for the movie. What I liked was everything and I hated nothing. There is nothing I would have done differently...and that's something I almost never can say. This is a very intelligent, crowd-pleasing quality picture from start to finish and you should see it on the big screen if you can. Yes, it's THAT good!

Roasted, Mashed, Boiled, Sauteed? How'd you do your Potatoes?

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 18 October 2015]

If you've ever wondered if Tom Hanks went even further adrift in Castaway then this could be the answer you're looking for.

An Earth team are on Mars carrying out tests on the surface of The Red Planet, a message comes through from Earth warning of a huge and fast approaching storm. The team quickly assemble and flee, unfortunately Mark Watney is caught in the storm, loses his communication device and presumed dead. Watney has survived and has a harsh realism that he's abandoned on Mars with precious little supplies, no company and little chance of survival. Being 50 million miles away and 4 years away in terms of rescue life seems bleak. Watney has to defy the odds in order to survive.

Ridley Scott is responsible for so many wonderful films, and for many The Martian will sit among them.

This is a beautifully made film, it looks incredible, I love the realisation of Mars's surface, truly brilliant, wasn't going to be otherwise with the budget they had. The music is interesting, the score itself is quite subtle, but the tunes from Abba, Gloria Estefan etc are so random.

The pacing of the film is very cleverly done, never does it feel rushed, and on very few occasions does it feel slow or padded. If i'm honest at twenty minutes I was questioning how the film was possibly going to last over two hours.

Matt Damon shows his class, he carries the film on his shoulders, he gives a stellar performance as Mark, cannot be faulted. Some of the others in the film were a little hit and miss, I enjoyed Chiwetel Ejiofor very much. Jeff Daniels was fairly good. Kristen Wiig seemed an odd choice, but she was good too.

It was better then I expected, I enjoyed it a lot 8/10

Expected more

[slingeraap · 6/10 · 8 October 2015]

I am a bit of nerd of this kind of realistic science fiction movies and therefore I had high expectations of this movie. I regret to say I was disappointed.

The movie tells the story of how the main character struggles to survive on Mars and how the space agencies work to get them back. But I was missing the emotions, the human touch. The main character never displays any signs of loneliness, despair or fear. He is more like "oh, looks like I'm stuck on Mars, let's grow potatoes". He makes a one- off reference to his parents in an electronic communication, but nowhere in the movie is it made clear what his main drive is to want to return to Earth. It appears as nothing ties him there. Maybe the directors wanted to avoid the cliché of the eight months pregnant and terminally ill wife eagerly awaiting her husband's return from a dangerous mission, but even a cliché had been better than nothing. His character is also too flat. The only character trait that is highlighted slightly in the movie is that he may be a bit too smug about himself. Nothing else to make me identify or sympathize with him. To be honest, I couldn't have cared less if he had not survived.

The Mars landscape is beautifully rendered en very credible with dust clouds and all. This is the main attraction of the movie.

The main problem that there is nothing novel about this movie. There have been better movies for every aspect of the film:

Human aspect/psychology of being marooned in a strange place: Cast Away did it so much better; set in space: Matt Damon's role in Interstellar was more credible than his performance here. Space action scenes: Gravity had me on the edge of my seat Ground control scenes: Apollo 13 already set the standard

In summary, the movie is a beautiful, but hollow shell.

My favourite movie of the last decade

[Rose-Warren · 10/10 · 5 March 2016]

I am genuinely amazed at the number of bad reviews there are on here for The Martian. Now I never read the book, but I absolutely LOVED the film. So much so, I watched it twice within a week. It has been such a long time since I have been left with that wonderful sense of satisfaction after investing two hours in a really good movie, and this did it 100%

I am usually left highly disappointed after watching this genre of film, so I wasn't expecting much. Something like Gravity I thought, great special affects, dramatic scenes, and an average storyline, but The Martian was a whole different calibre of film and was perfectly constructed from start to finish.

I was instantly thrown in to a scene where astronaut Mark Watney and his crew are setting about their mission on Mars. But the sh*t hits the fan about ten minutes in where a storm causes Watney to be thrown from the crew and left for dead. There was no long lingering introduction to the film and its characters, just instant drama and character development. This forcibly got me caring for the entire crew, and got me emotionally invested until the end.

Matt Damon has always been good at what he does, but I felt he hadn't really shown off his true raw talent since Good Will Hunting back in 1997. Well he did in this. He was captivating in every single scene, and managed to do what Tom Hanks achieved in Cast Away and single handedly gripped the viewers' attention completely (with the help of a beautifully crafted script). Another reviewer got it bang on when they described it as Apollo 13 meets Castaway. The exact comparison I too had made and a combination, which works superbly.

The makers of this film put so much effort in to making it scientifically accurate which made it all the more pleasurable to watch. There was nothing far-fetched or stupid like in a lot of films of the same genre, and the combination of this, with a solid plot made for a truly interesting, exciting and enjoyable film.

There was drama, great effects, humour, heartwarming moments, a great soundtrack and a flawless screenplay. If you only see one movie this year, make it this one. An absolute must see.

Not the film you think it is.

[alexandercappelli · 7/10 · 8 March 2016]

The Martian (2015) directed by Ridley Scott, written by Drew Goddard, based on the novel by Andy Weir. This is not the film you think it is. To elaborate, the premise of the The Martian suggests a tale about one man's solitary struggle against seemingly insurmountable odds as he overcomes one hurdle after another while stranded on Mars. Isolated and detached from humanity in every sense of the word we would expect to see a mans emotional and intellectual battle with this overbearing desolation and the pain of never seeing his loved ones again. However, in stark contrast to this what we get is an eternally optimistic film with a persistently upbeat, wise-cracking protagonist set to a soundtrack of '70s disco music. The tone is consistently light throughout, save for a few fleeting moments such as when Matt Damon's character mentions his parents on earth or the brief moments when something doesn't quite go to plan at NASA. When they do encounter a problem it's resolved so quickly it scarcely seems to have posed any threat. The films insistence on never getting weighed down by it's subject matter unfortunately means that it fails to produce any real tension. From very early on in the film it's clear that everything will be OK by the end, one way or another this astronaut is getting home safe, that much you can be sure on. Consequently what we have then is an entertaining, easy to watch space travel story in which we watch an astronaut devise some nifty scientific devices to help him survive in his man made habitat while he waits for NASA to rescue him. There are several scenes where Damon's character actually seems to be enjoying himself. The character development is paper thin, he starts of a self assured, relatively cheerful every-man who endears himself to us almost instantly. By the end of the film he remains exactly that, his harrowing experience of surviving a harsh alien wasteland after being left for dead by his crew has failed to instill even the slightest sense of self-reflection or introspective behavior. The question then remains, does this make it a 'bad' film? My answer is no. It's just not what you'd expect from a Ridley Scott sci-fi. It's an easy going film with a likable protagonist, a healthy dose of humour with just a touch of sentimentality. I will say that I appreciated that we had both a female captain leading the space crew and not even the slightest hint of an unnecessary romantic subplot. Adjust your expectations and you'll have a good time. If, however, you were hoping for a masterpiece of suspense that brilliantly captures the terrifying dangers of space, Scott already made that film in 1979.

Smart, exciting crowd-pleaser

[utgard14 · 8/10 · 4 January 2016]

Exceptional sci-fi drama from Ridley Scott about an astronaut (Matt Damon) stranded on Mars and the efforts made to rescue him. As others have pointed out, there's more than a little bit here that reminds you of movies like Apollo 13 and Cast Away (particularly the former). I fail to see how that's a knock on it but it's being presented as such by some. We all come to movies with our own expectations and baggage. I'm not a Scott fanboy expecting him to wow me (his last two films were not great). I just wanted to be entertained and this did the trick. It's a movie aimed at the masses that is smarter than your average movie aimed at the masses. Maybe it's not for all nerds (a quick glance at some of the reviews shows a lot of inane nit-picking from people who seem to have no concept of dramatic license), but I didn't find the movie dumbed-down at all. I also want to say how much I appreciated that this managed to stay remarkably light and positive while still maintaining the tension, proving once again that you don't have to be depressing to be good drama. If you haven't seen The Martian yet, you should. It's a great film with a first-rate cast, good direction, and stellar effects. If you're just looking for a quality movie to entertain you for a while, this should be something you'll enjoy.

Were my expectations too high?

[animalover-1 · 6/10 · 8 October 2015]

I wish I liked this movie more like a lot of moviegoers who are giving it good to even great reviews, but I left the theater with a bitter taste in my mouth I had to write this review to reconcile my feelings.

Imagine a movie that takes from the glory of Gravity, Cast Away and Apollo 13 which also tries to be as hilarious and groovy as Guardians of The Galaxy at times but fails? You've got The Martian. The first 1/3 of the movie was quite engaging: An astronaut on Mars expedition team gets left behind after a huge storm because he was assumed dead. But he was alive and we watch him try and utilize every cell of his brains and science savvy to survive until help comes. But once he gets out of initial danger things get all too predictable and over-wrought. Couple of annoyances: 141 mins. About 30 mins too long for the storyline. There were too many mentions of Disco music the commander of the mission left behind to ill effect, unconvincing supporting characters on the Earth who seem to be just reciting a script, and some characters the movie shouldn't have had whatsoever (such as Kristen Wiig).

Did Matt Damon do a good job ? I thought so until they showed a body double that didn't even resemble him and from there nothing he did was believable unfortunately. Had Damon actually lost weight without using a body double, I might have gotten more into the movie. But then again, he is no Christian Bale. So I wasn't expecting it but a little weight loss would have made him more convincing.

A few good acting jobs came from Michael Pena and Benedict Wong whose characters added to the storytelling instead of subtracting it in the midst of too many unnecessary characters reciting an already weak script.

More marshmallow than Martian!

[flickernatic · 5/10 · 12 October 2015]

The crew of an American base on Mars are forced to make an emergency departure leaving one crew-member behind presumed dead. But he is alive! Can the stranded astronaut find a way of communicating his plight to those on Earth and survive while he awaits rescue?

A fairly standard 'castaway' plot but one which offers many dramatic possibilities. Unfortunately few of these are realised in this pedestrian movie which fails to generate any significant dramatic tension. This is partly because the characterisation is thin but also because the challenges the stranded astronaut faces seem to be so easily overcome. Starvation? Grow potatoes. Punctured space-helmet? Sticky tape. Mars rover vehicle lacking power? Wire up a few solar cells. Communications equipment destroyed? Motor over to a handy Mars lander. We never sense that the 'Martian' (Matt Damon) is in a desperate, mind- and body-sapping struggle against the odds (conveniently he is a botanist).

Damon effectively portrays the 'Martian' as a likable guy but the problem is how to fill the two hours of the movie that remain after he is stranded? When a character is alone and unable to communicate it needs something exceptional to keep us glued to the screen. Maybe what's going on back home will do it. Not really because the cast of characters there are verging on cardboard cut-outs. The returning crew? Likewise. And the script is written on the assumption that the audience is a little dumb, e.g. A: It will be 500 Sols (Martian days) before we can rescue him. B: But his food will run out in 300 sols. C: So he'll die before we get there. Indeed! And so may we.

The movie has some good FX and the Martian landscape looks convincing. But there's nothing exceptional here to compensate for the lack of an effectively told story.

In essence this is an American feel-good fantasy film, celebrating ideals of technical omnipotence, racial harmony, gender equality and international collaboration (with those cool Chinese guys and gals). If only it were so. No wonder the credits rolled to the tune of The O' Jays singing 'Love Train'. School-kids will probably join in! But, to quote Sam Goldwyn, 'Include me out!'

(Viewed at the Odeon, Warrington, 06 October 2015)

The best of 2015...

[hjpog · 9/10 · 14 December 2015]

The film is the finest examples of science fiction and science fiction embodies everything required. Matt Damon has given the right role until the end of the case. Besides the fact that one does not really need. All movies have moved on their own. We have seen examples of this, such as the Buried and 127 Hours of very good quality movies. The master Ridley Scott's science fiction after a long separation has made a great comeback with this film case. After this film, Ridley Scott disappointing those who say the sound was cut. Thank you for this wonderful film Ridley masters. Maybe the best in 2015, as I mentioned in the title.

The Martian: A Classic by all means.

[niutta-enrico · 10/10 · 25 December 2015]

I read some of the reviews and decided to review this title myself. That's because I'd like you not to miss this lovely movie.

It got some very bad criticism (Reviews&Ratings first page hosts at least 4 reviewers rating this title '1', lowest possible value on IMDb), most of which deals with Physics laws bended to screenwriter's desire.

Well I just want to reassure you that even though I am among the nerdiest guys on the Internet, I didn't get annoyed from what I saw. Not once. And if you weren't annoyed by Tom Hanks and his boys killing almost an entire German Division before giving up in 'Save Private Ryan' you won't be annoyed too.

It's a movie, not a documentary. And it's a great movie, a classic by all means.

Great, realistic enough Sci-Fi movie

[jcg-91544 · 9/10 · 22 January 2021]

This is a great sci-fi movie that's realistic enough to not be weighed down by being unrealistic or ridiculous in that way.

The acting and plot are great. The story is engaging, and Matt Damon does a great job in playing a character that everyone is trying to save (he always seems to be playing a character that everyone is trying to save or everyone is trying to kill)

One thing that I do think weighs this movie down, and why it's a 9/10 and not a 10/10, is all the swearing. I can understand some swearing here and there, but it does get to a point in the Martian that the swearing feels gratuitous and can detract a bit to a lot from the viewing experience depending on how much you do or don't mind swearing in movies.

Other than that I'd say the movie is fairly accurate to the book, and it's extremely well done, and is a definite must watch if you like it when movies at least try to put a good effort into being as realistic as possible.

9/10 would recommend.

If you don't care about sounds in space, then you might really enjoy this.

[rooprect · 21 September 2019]

My title sounds sarcastic, but I really mean it. If it doesn't bother you when films depict bangs, crashes, rumbles, booms, and pew-pew "laser" beams (add Austin Powers finger quotes) in the vacuum space, then load up your popcorn and get set for a wild ride. If, on the other hand, the aforementioned cinematic gimmicks bother you, then you still might enjoy this film but just be prepared for that and more.

Although The Martian gives us just an occasional low, tasteful rumble when spaceships fly by, that's the least of its scientific transgressions, and things get pretty "Mars Attacks" preposterous in the final 20 minutes. Normally I wouldn't even bring this up since basically EVERY space movie in the history of EVER, except for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1969), has sound effects in space. But the problem is that "The Martian" takes a very committed, scientific, realistic tone which sets us up for an extremely scientific, realistic story. It falls short on that mark, and rather than bore you and pretentiously inflate my own ego by pointing out every flaw, I'll let you read the other reviews, or better yet: just accept that there are scientific loopholes so big that you can drive a Quasar through it (and I'm not talking about the car made in 1967).

Ok if I haven't lost you, then let's talk about the fun stuff. The special effects are FANTASTIC. Director Ridley Scott ("Alien", "Blade Runner") outshines himself once again with a truly magnificent feast for the eyes, and especially if you watch it on a large UHD screen, that alone is worth the price of admission.

The story itself is riveting. It's a tale of survival on a barren planet where Matt Damon fights a constant battle NOT against little green men or pew-pew "laser" beams but against the cold and sterile reality of space. That was my favorite part of the movie, the fact that it can carry our interest for 2 1/2 hours with the only real conflict being how to survive on a planet where nothing works.

Matt Damon does an incredible job of acting, portraying a complex character who realizes he's a dead man but rises to the challenge and pits every brain cell he's got against the universe. Similar to the excellent "Cast Away" or even the iconic "Papillon", it's a story about never giving up even if it kills you, and that regardless of whether we get a happy ending or a sad one, is the takeaway of this flick.

I would group this film with other modern, minimalistic sci-fi flicks that take a realistic ("boring" to some) approach but deliver a lot of drama. Flicks like "Moon", "Solaris", or on the older shelf "Contact", "2010" and possibly even the grandfather of them all, "2001" (though don't get your hopes up too high as I mentioned up front) will give you a taste for what's in store if you decide to watch "The Martian".

A welcome return to form for Ridley Scott.

[MrDHWong · 9/10 · 15 October 2015]

The Martian is a science fiction film starring Matt Damon and directed by Ridley Scott. I'm a big fan of Ridley Scott's work as a director, but I feel that most of his recent films have been very hit and miss. However, The Martian serves as a firm reminder as to why I am a fan of him in the first place. Not since Interstellar have I seen a sci-fi movie this thought-provoking or cleverly written.

After an intense sandstorm devastates a manned mission to Mars, the crew are forced to abandon the desolate planet and astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead and left stranded. Unbeknownst to the crew, Watney survived, albeit injured from the storm, and tries to find ways to survive the inhospitable climate of the red planet. Being a botanist, Watney figures out how to grow food for himself out of the crew's leftover vegetable supplies and uses his scientific knowledge to create water using hydrogen crystals and oxygen from the crew's base camp. However, these supplies can only sustain him for a matter of months as a rescue mission from Earth will take 4 years to reach him. Watney must find a way to signal back to Earth that he is alive and is in urgent need of rescuing before he runs out of food and water.

Despite its somewhat bleak tone of survival in a hostile terrain, the film still manages to have its fair share of funny and heartwarming moments, which are seamlessly intertwined into the film's more dramatic scenes. Matt Damon is perfectly cast as the wisecracking, yet intelligent astronaut Mark Watney and his positive attitude toward his survival is what keeps us invested in the story. The rest of the cast are great too, which includes Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Mara, Jessica Chastain, and even Donald Glover from Community. I was also particularly pleased with the film's pacing, there was never a moment that felt rushed or slow and boring. This is a welcome return to form for the legendary director Ridley Scott.

I rate it a solid 9/10.

Fun but Far From Great

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 14 January 2016]

This is certainly an entertaining film as a formula movie. It's fun like the earlier "Independence Day" film with Bill Pullman and Will Smith. We put a poor guy in an untenable situation, trapped on a planet when his colleagues are forced to take off and leave him behind. As a scientist, he does miraculous things to stay alive, including creating a greenhouse where he can grow potatoes (that just happen to be on board providing seed). That's OK. That's a plot element. He also has incredible knowledge of all the incredible stuff left behind on Mars. An amazing rover as well as a nuclear device. That's OK too because we can't have a plot without something for this guy to do. Where it falls down is in the reality of NASA (which we are told are a pack of insensitive boobs or nerds). They are going to do this and then they are going to do that. Jeff Daniels plays a stuck-in-the-mud guy who is only concerned about the politics of the job. I love Matt Damon. I've seen nearly everything he has done. He's adequate in this film but certainly not Academy Award material. He expresses almost no emotions other than a couple little under-control tantrums. What about the loneliness, the sameness of every day? Years of eating potatoes. Anyway, it is candy for those who don't want to think very much. It's very impresstive looking and the special effects are awesome. We've become a bit spoiled, I guess. Things by the formula.

The Martian: "Cast Away" Meets "Apollo 13"

[jbroc62 · 9/10 · 7 October 2015]

The Martian is a new Ridley Scott classic, featuring his best work in years, the best performance I've ever seen from Matt Damon, an outstanding supporting cast, a surprisingly funny screenplay from Daredevil creator Drew Goddard, and a great narrative that ties the film together beautifully.

As expected with Ridley Scott films, the film itself is visually stunning. The landscape of Mars looks absolutely breathtaking, and the scenes aboard the Hermes and back on Earth are just as sharp in detail and scope. The way he chose to make this film made it almost seem like an exceptionally made biopic. Many times during this film, I legitimately believed that Mark Watney was a real, living person that was actually stranded on Mars for many months alone. It's Cast Away meets Apollo 13, and this marriage is crafted beautifully.

Matt Damon is absolutely brilliant in this film. He plays Watney with so much optimism that it actually makes the depressing aspect of the film not as depressing for me. However, when he has to put on his dramatic chops in certain scenes, he truly commits to the drama of the situation, and that right there is true Ridley Scott suspense for you. The supporting cast, everyone involved, all do great work as well. Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain, particularly Chiwetel Ejiofor. He is one of the best actors working today, and this movie and 12 Years a Slave shows how far he's come.

The most surprisingly element about this movie though was the screenplay. The film is hilarious in some parts, in fact I'd argue that it's funnier than most comedies that have come out this year. What makes to movie unique to me was Watney's optimistic point of view. He believes that he isn't going to die on Mars, and this transforms this rather depressing situation into something comical instead. But when you really think about it, this is a very personal film about some people coming together to save somebody. That's it. And in today's world, it's nice to hear an story about people coming together to save one of their own.

I have nothing bad to say about The Martian. It's the best film I've seen all year.

Futurism and Nostalgia

[paul2001sw-1 · 7/10 · 4 February 2016]

From the earliest days of cinema, films have explored what man can do when cut off from society (and indeed, the interest of the topic pre-dates the art form: think how long ago Robinson Crusoe was written). But in a world ever more monitored, depictions of life beyond borders are often set in space. These include both fictional tales and true stories. 'Apollo 13', for example, is a riveting film, but mainly because of its raw material: in 1971, a manned space mission suffered from an explosion and the astronauts were stranded, thousands of miles from help; amazingly, they managed to fix their stricken craft and make it home alive.

'The Martian' is a fictional story, but is in some ways Apollo 13-redux. It starts with a gripping scene where, post-disaster, the hero is forced to operate on himself: gripping, yes, but also not a scene that needs to be set on Mars. And subsequently, it can't quite live up to this compelling start. As I see it, there are three main problems. Firstly, some implausible science (how can you grow plants without carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?) and psychology (the story is set over a period of years, but we never really get the impression that the character is stranded alone for so long). Secondly, the need for the Hollywood virtues where force of character compels eventual triumph. And finally, perhaps, that the remarkable thing about Apollo 13 is not that its crew could have saved themselves, but that they did: the triumph was not one over the laws of physics, but rather a win against the odds. In a fictional story, this is a less compelling narrative structure: why does the character get repeatedly lucky? Simply because the screenwriters wrote it that way.

Yet in spite of its faults, the film's basic set up draws you in, and by the (admittedly melodramatic) rescue scenes, one can't help but watch on the edge of one's seat; and keeping an audience interested for over two hours is not such an easy thing to do. Perhaps the fact that in the real world we've basically given up on manned space travel adds to the appeal: this may be a futuristic story, but at the same time, it also feels like a tale of something we used to do, to boldly go beyond the limits of our planet to see what we might find.

Insanely watchable

[delcat-62304 · 10/10 · 12 June 2022]

This 2015 film has so many great elements; top notch soundtrack, beautiful imagery, charismatic Matt Damon, realistic science and so much more.

This is why this film scores 10/10 for me. I'm always ready for a rewatch.

safe,dull and ... predictable

[kanakarisnico · 6/10 · 3 November 2015]

I went to see the martian with high expectations,hoping to get a story that will take you by your throat keeps you on the tip of your seat and thrill you,surprise you...etc etc...i got nothing of the above!! instead i watched a very dull,predictable and very safe movie,Matt Damon,i really love as an actor but he never got to me,i simply was not taken by his acting,it just did not come across,the surrounding characters were so predictable,the young and beautiful captain,another young chick and a science head...the happy Latino...a German...oh please give me a break,who wrote this,and sorry to say but the name Ridley Scott seems to disappoint me more and more the last years.The scene where his garden gets blown away i saw coming from a mile,the science well,that was nicely done for a 10year your kid,but for me it looked like a Sunday afternoon cable movie,safe and predictable.There were so many things they could have done differently,also the music did nothing good for it.the photography could have been done so much better...i am very disappointed.

Balancing out good reviews

[crosbyj13 · 4/10 · 27 January 2020]

Starts ok. Gets weaker and weaker.

1. Every problem or life threatening situation is solved immediately so it never feels this guy is in peril.

2. Ridiculous nonsensical physics throughout.

3. Main character is a botanist and yet everyone is bewildered he can grow crops. Isn't that what he was presumably up there for?

4. All supporting characters are generic and bland.

5. The original crew decide within 30 seconds to turn around and go back to Mars. Good Lord. They basically act like spending another 2 years in space and risking their lives on a statistically improbable mission is a no brainer. This would be a ridiculously hard decision that would involve an intense debate.

6. The Chinese officially offering their assistance took place over one silly phone call.

7. Matt Damon flying through space via a hole in his suit.

8. Matt Damon seems nearly completely unphased that he has been left stranded and unlike in Castaway, there is no suggestion that his mental health is in any way affected by such a difficult situation.

On and on I could go.