By Joe Yamulla II Sports Editor
Ridley Scott’s The Martian is an absolute box office hit right now. As of last week, the film’s earnings had already risen to more than $108.7 million. Matt Damon stars in the movie and certainly does not disappoint. After viewing it shortly after it was released, I immediately considered it to be one of the top movies of the year and a worthy candidate to receive several Academy Awards. The Martian was an A+ smash that I think everyone should see.
The basic plot of the movie (without spoiling anything) is that Mark Watney (Matt Damon) and his team are working on a project as the first human venture to Mars. However, when disaster strikes and a storm forces the crew to evacuate the planet, Watney gets left behind after it was believed that he was killed. To the dismay of everyone on Earth, it turns out Watney survived and is left to survive on the space station left on Mars with a finite supply of food and water. He schemes ways to survive on a planet with no life until a mission from Earth is able to attempt to bring him home.
When it comes to the structure of the movie, the cast is pretty ideal. Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Kate Mara were all-stars in this one. Each portrayed their character in an original and gripping way. Second, the effects in the film were absolutely stunning. From the vast landscape of the mysterious planet of Mars, to the shots of space travel, the expensive budget proved to be absolutely worth it.
Also, the plot line was actually extremely intricate. Many survival films have a linear outcome, however, I was on the edge of my seat pondering the various outcomes throughout the entire duration of the movie. Ridley Scott showed impressive creativity as he created a box office hit that spends a majority of its time focusing on Damon.
If The Martian is a sign of what’s to come with films this season, movie fans should be optimistic. The only critical comments made by movie reviewers are that the film is predictable. However, as mentioned, I found the opposite to be true. I was filled with suspense and excitement while watching this film. It is fun for all audiences, making it marketable and especially popular. I highly recommend that you, along with friends or family, make time to go see The Martian before it leaves theatres.
Joe Yamulla is the Sports Editor. His email is jyamulla@fandm.edu.