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First Look: Matt Damon As An Astronaut In Ridley Scott’s ‘The Martian’

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So hype. I love love love the book.

That said, I do doubt the movie will have the same qualities that made the book cool. But still, looking forward to it.
 

Megasoum

Banned
The book was trash and I expect the movie to be no better. Bad science, superhuman Gary Stu, deus ex machina coming out of every plot hole. The Martian is basically an updated Armageddon with fewer characters.

Bad science? Lol

You should check out Andy Weir's interviews about the whole process he went through while writing the book.
 

Chichikov

Member
is this a joke? prometheus without Damon Lindelof sounds like a great idea
No it doesn't.
I don't need any more backstory on the alien, I got all I needed from the first film - it's a "perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility [...] A survivor, unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality".
Done and done, peeling away its simplicity and mystery only detracts from it in my mind, same go to the space jockey.

I'm not saying that a Lindelofless Prometheus couldn't have been better, of course it could, that guy is a fucking hack, but I also feel the very idea beyond that movie is misguided.
 
Bad science? Lol

You should check out Andy Weir's interviews about the whole process he went through while writing the book.

In part of his interview with Google he says there are times in the book where he makes major concessions in order to progress the narrative. The beginning, for example, is a total construct because the low Mars gravity would result in the initial event having zero effect. There are also major challenges to space travel that Weir chose to simply ignore. Body atrophy and cosmic radiation being the big two for me.
 

KimiNewt

Scored 3/100 on an Exam
The book was great and I'm cautiously optimistic about the film, nothing seems particularly off about it (except maybe that Weir had no involvement).

And lol @ "Bad science". Yeah there were some concessions as said (admitted, even) but overall it was one of the most accurate scifi books in recent years.
 

DieH@rd

Banned
In part of his interview with Google he says there are times in the book where he makes major concessions in order to progress the narrative. The beginning, for example, is a total construct because the low Mars gravity would result in the initial event having zero effect. There are also major challenges to space travel that Weir chose to simply ignore. Body atrophy and cosmic radiation being the big two for me.

Not gravity. Air pressure.

As for cosmic radiation, presumably ship was shielded enough. As for atrophy, they exercise on the ship a lot [it was mentioned in the book] and the trip from Earth to Mars [and back] is not too long.
 

Mulberry

Member
Math: The Book: The Movie
Best post in this thread.

The helmet does invoke thoughts of old sci-fi films where the Martians had big heads with ears sticking out the sides. I'm looking forward to NDT picking apart the science of the film in a series of tweets.
 

Vito

Banned
Is this just a survival thriller or is there more to the story ?

Not really, that's basically it. In the book there are basically two parallel sides, Earth side and Mars side (not a spoiler, considering the casting).

And lol @ "Bad science". Yeah there were some concessions as said (admitted, even) but overall it was one of the most accurate scifi books in recent years.

The science is... eh? I mean yeah, the small tidbits in it are just enough, if you want to pose around as a smug bastard in front of your peers, that you read Superior Books, even though the entire book reads like a movie script.

Also setting your book in the very near future will make it seem a lot more accurate, than setting it in the far future.
 

luxarific

Nork unification denier
The book was fantastic and Matt Damon is going to be epic in this movie, along with the rest of the fantastic cast, I mean, look at this:

Kate Mara, Michael Peña, Kristen Wiig, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, “Halt and Catch Fire” star Mackenzie Davis, Sean Bean, Donald Glover, and Naomi Scott

Can hardly wait!
 

New002

Member
It's Gravity 2. Disaster! Respite. Disaster! Respite. Disaster! Respite.

I enjoyed the book, but this did start to get boring for me by the end of it oddly enough. It just became "okay what's going to happen now?," but not in a good way. Overall it wasn't a huge deal, just something that hit me as I neared the end. I'd still recommend the book, and I hope the movie is great!
 

Chris R

Member
I enjoyed the book, but this did start to get boring for me by the end of it oddly enough. It just became "okay what's going to happen now?," but not in a good way. Overall it wasn't a huge deal, just something that hit me as I neared the end. I'd still recommend the book, and I hope the movie is great!

Not whats going to happen now, but "what's not going to work to plan now". A movie should be able to cut some of the fluff in the back half though, everything after
he starts out on the trek to the other lander
is when the book starts to get a little boring.
 

EGM1966

Member
I should really get around to this but I've already consumed a couple of stranded on Mars books/films so never got too interested.
 
The book was pretty good till the last third so hopefully they find a way to tighten that back-end up, seeing no matter what, I adore Damon.

The last third was written like a blockbuster movie script rather than staying consistent with the solid first two halves, so I fully expect the entire script to read like the last third.

And I get that some people don't care for the engineering / math / science side of this, but that's this story's strongest selling point so I don't know what else to tell you.
 
never heard about this book, but got curious because of this thread so I look for it from kindle, 1/5th into the book, it's really not what I expect, the premise seems like such a scary and depressing story. being stranded alone in Mars. but the book is actually really funny, I got a couple good chuckles out of the main character's thoughts. especially the line about
Aquaman
, lol. I'm really enjoying the book, not sure how well Matt Damon will fit as the main character in the book, but I'm looking forward for the movie now.
 
Interstellar was the first thing that came to mind (yeck, wish I could forget about that movie). I might still give this a chance, though.
 

KimiNewt

Scored 3/100 on an Exam
The science is... eh? I mean yeah, the small tidbits in it are just enough, if you want to pose around as a smug bastard in front of your peers, that you read Superior Books, even though the entire book reads like a movie script.

Also setting your book in the very near future will make it seem a lot more accurate, than setting it in the far future.

The heck? It's a very nice and lighthearted book (despite the setting). It's not a literary masterpiece and wasn't supposed to be one.

And yeah, obviously it's easier. But look at stuff like Interstellar or Gravity (that's even set in quasi-modern times) and it's not all accurate. I think that if they keep the accuracy of the book in-tact it will most definitely be more accurate than both of those.
 

sphinx

the piano man
why Matt Damon?

I don't want him in sci-fi movies, he makes them unbelievable like "yeah, this is a hollywood film with random actors pretending to be in space" -_-

space films need less known faces.

no damons or hathaways
 
In part of his interview with Google he says there are times in the book where he makes major concessions in order to progress the narrative. The beginning, for example, is a total construct because the low Mars gravity would result in the initial event having zero effect. There are also major challenges to space travel that Weir chose to simply ignore. Body atrophy and cosmic radiation being the big two for me.

Youmustbefunatparties.png
 
Isn't he making The Forever War too?

He's not involved anymore. New producers, with Channing Tatum starring and Jon Spaihts scripting. Warner Bros recently won a bidding war for it.

Fucking what?

Oh god. I just vomited in my mouth a little. I have no confidence that they can keep the point/feeling of the book intact or that they think a big movie audience today could relate to it.

Wow, that depresses me a little.
 

Cerberus

Member
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/23/matt-damon-the-martian-photos

the-martian-01.jpg

the-martian-02.jpg

the-martian-03.jpg

the-martian-04.jpg



http://www.people.com/article/first-look-matt-damon-martian-ridley-scott

martian-matt-01-800.jpg

martian-kristen-01-800.jpg

martian-group-01-800.jpg
 

LQX

Member
Wow, I thought for sure another actor was chosen for that role. Cant wait for this, I loved the book and did not want it to end.
 

Aureon

Please do not let me serve on a jury. I am actually a crazy person.
In part of his interview with Google he says there are times in the book where he makes major concessions in order to progress the narrative. The beginning, for example, is a total construct because the low Mars gravity would result in the initial event having zero effect. There are also major challenges to space travel that Weir chose to simply ignore. Body atrophy and cosmic radiation being the big two for me.

Radiation is shielded. It wouldn't really add anything to the story, except
"Oh, and he's back, but he's most likely dying of cancer due to cosmic radiation!"
 

Zodzilla

Member
The book is great, although at times the main character wrote too much in "hey, I'm a lovable quirky blogger!" style for me. Regardless, can't wait for the movie, hopefully they keep a lot of the math and mcguyvering that made the book so great.
 
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