Back when I review the book The Martian by Andy Weir,
I said that I hadn't seen its movie adaptation. Well I am happy to say
that I have finally gotten around to fixing that problem. So without
further ado let's take a look at Ridley Scott's adaption of The Martian.
In the not too distant future the Ares III mission to
Mars has had to return Earth prematurely due to surprise dust storm.
Unfortunately, Mark Watney has been left behind because everyone assumed
that he died during the storm. Now it's going to take everything Mark's
got and then some to stay alive, reestablish contact with mission control and
get back to Earth.
So how well does the plot stack up to that of the
book? It does an absolutely beautiful job of preserving and replicating
the book's plot. Sure, there were a few scenes cut here and there, but
that was to make things more streamlined and better fit the medium of film.
The biggest changes were to a few character. In the book Mission
Control was run by Venkat Kapoor, an Indian-American man. In the movie we
have Vincent Kapoor, who is half-Black and half-Indian. Originally, an
Indian actor had been cast in the role, but he had prior obligations in
Bollywood. So they cast Chiwetel Ejiofor at the last minute.
In the book minor character Mindy Park was most likely
Korean-American, but in the movie she's played by a white actress. On the
more subjective side, Commander Lewis isn't necessarily described as ugly per
say, but it is mentioned that Beth Johansson is the good looking one of the
Ares III crew. Personally, I thought that Jessica Chastain was better
looking than Kate Mara, but that's just my opinion.
Andy Weir has even said that he cried tears of joy
during the first eight minutes of the movie because he got to see his vision
come to life on the big screen. Suffice it to say, he's very happy with
how the movie turned out. There's plenty of scientists who gave this film
their stamp of approval, including Neil deGrasse Tyson himself. It's
really an accomplishment when you can get Dr. Tyson onboard with your film.
The Martian is easily Ridley Scott's best film to date.
It even made it all the way to The Oscars and was
nominated for best picture. It lost, but in The Academy's defense, Spotlight is
a really good movie and more than earned its award. That being said, The
Martian did very well at The Golden Globes, BAFTA and the Critic's Choice Awards.
It even won best comedy, which is weird because it isn't a comedy.
Don't get me wrong it's very lighthearted and has many moments of comedy,
but I wouldn't call it a comedy per say. It is great that so many hard
science fiction films are getting the recognition they deserve as of
late.
If I had one complaint it would be that the marketing
campaign really did this movie a disservice. They made the movie look
much darker than it actually is. I mean, there are serious and dramatic
moments, but on the whole it's pretty lighthearted. Though I am happy to
say that the misaimed marketing didn't effect the film's success in the
slightest.
I loved the practical effects involved with this
movie, especially how much of it was filmed in Jordan's Wadi Rum desert for the
shots of Mars' surface. Though there
were also plenty of soundstages in Hungry. I also loved the way music from the
1970s was incorporated into the soundtrack. Mark probably would have
screamed his head off if he ever saw this movie, but I liked it. The
special effects were also really well done.
I haven't been talking much about the actually plot,
but I really covered most of that in my review of the book, so you can always
check that out. It is a really fun movie, the science is science is
rock-solid and I'm glad I got to share this movie with my family.
Seriously, do yourself a favor and go rent this movie, or buy it if
you're so inclined.
This was a somewhat short and haphazard review, but I
figured I should get something out after so long. I do intend to review
more movies in the future so be on the lookout for that. Well then,
that's all for me for now. I will see you guys next time.
