The Martian — Wow!

8th March, 2016.

You know, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a film.

Let me clarify that, if I can.

Sunday?

Sunday, I managed to see Dad’s Army.

There’s slightly more ironic ways ways to celebrate Mothers Day, but I don’t know if I could you what they are.

At ANY rate, when I say “… it’s been a while since I’ve seen a film,” what I MEAN is … 

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a movie … indoors … that I’ve bought or rented, myself.

Tonight, I did exactly that.

Tonight I rented out The Martian.

And whereas the last Ridley Scott film I saw — 2012’s Prometheus — was watchable, but flawed?

The Martian seems to tell us Scott is back on form … 

~≈Â≈~

Set in a not too distant future, The Martian shows us the crew of the Ares 3 mission: led by Captain Lewis (Jessica Chastaine), the team are on the surface of Mars for a projected 31 Martian says.

And are halfway through their mission, when ordered to abort the mission, and evacuate the planet: in the face of an oncoming storm.

Unfortunately?

In the rush, Astronaut Mark Watney — Matt Damon — is left for dead, when an uprooted antenna hits him.

And the crew have to leave Mars, without him.

What his fellows don’t know … ?

Is that Mark has survived … 

Survived … 

And has to figure out how to grow food, on a planet with little fertile soil, less oxygen … and even LESS water.

All that, and figure out how to tell Earth he’s not dead!

~≈Â≈~

Now … ?

Back on form … ?

Oh, LORD, yes!

Now I don’t know if you saw Prometheus: or, if you did, what you thought of it.

I did.

AND I liked it.

But believe it wasn’t necessarily Ridley Scott’s best work.

Critic, Mark Kermode, said something along the lines of “Prometheus is a work of genius, wrapped up in a film that’s merely OK.”

I have to agree with him, there: Prometheus is good, but could well have been a lot better, even though it is visually stunning.

The Martian, on the other hand?

I don’t know where — precisely — where Prometheus went wrong.

But I don’t think Scott made the same mistakes with The Martian.

The film jogs along at a nice pace, acting and writing are beautifully done, the visuals and music are incredible … 

And scene follows scene seamlessly.

Seamlessly.

The Martian deeply reminded me of the original Alien, right from the get go: unsurprisingly, given its director.

Both are science-fiction pieces with working spaceships, peopled with real human crews: and have a climax depending on blowing something from an airlock.

But, where Alien was a blood drenched, gore fest?

The Martian was FAR more upbeat: warm oranges, to Alien’s deep greys.

And just as beautiful …

The Martian
★★★★