Flying Toaster
Member
Just got out of the theater. Amazing movie. Maybe Scott will portray scientists and space exploration with intelligent people instead of what we had in Prometheus in Prometheus 2.
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First Reviews for The Martian (dir. Ridley Scott; based on the book; Matt Damon)
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Netherscourge
Banned
Saw it last night.
It's a great Castaway + problem solving movie.
It didn't have any cheap "villians" like Interstellar had and everyone in the movie genuinely worked together, bending rules best as they could. Reminded me of Apollo 13 with NASA coming up with all manner of ideas.
I love movies where people use real science to solve real, although hypothetical problems.
Damon's character in Interstellar, ironically, ruined that movie for me.
It's a great Castaway + problem solving movie.
It didn't have any cheap "villians" like Interstellar had and everyone in the movie genuinely worked together, bending rules best as they could. Reminded me of Apollo 13 with NASA coming up with all manner of ideas.
I love movies where people use real science to solve real, although hypothetical problems.
Damon's character in Interstellar, ironically, ruined that movie for me.
That's precisely how I felt. Both about the movie and what Matt Damon's character ironically represents in Interstellar.
Had anyone else done The Martian, the NASA director would likely have been portrayed as a dickhead token villain that the movie clearly wants the audience to hate. Instead we got a movie where you can understand and/or sympathize with everyone's motivations and decisions.
Nappuccino
Member
I think the "one f-bomb" has always just been a rule of thumb. Movies that are bound to make a ton of money get a little more leeway for "some reason."
It's ok you can laugh or crack a smile at well-timed humor at the movies. It's not going to hurt your street cred or anything.
BronsonLee
Member
I counted two. It amused me because I heard the first one and figured that was it for cursing.
Spoilers for The Martian
The motherfucker was on MARS for over a year, technically colonized it by growing fucking potatoes on it, and somehow survived. They're all students who likely consider him their goddamn hero. They're gonna ask him questions!
SuperStiltzkin
Member
Is that an audience complaint or a movie complaint? It's not a straight up comedy. The "dad" and "nerd" humor is more to break the tension rather than make you bust a gut. I wasn't laughing out loud at every single thing, but I do think the humor does hit successfully when it needs to. It's funny for something that is primarily a sci fi drama.
TheChewyWaffles
Member
That part at the end wasn't in the book. I thought it was kind of corny, but audiences expect a coda.
EatinOlives
Member
"Science the shit out of this"
But overall I think the humor was really well written. That one line was just one line.
eternalblue
Member
Watched this earlier today and really enjoyed it. There were several setbacks that occurred in the book that I kept expecting to happen, and then they were skipped over. I suppose the movie really couldn't have been any longer than it already was, though, so I can see why they were dropped.
I thought it was kind of funny that as soon as the credits started about a third of the mostly packed theater which was mostly older adults and seniors left, despite the screen still showing stuff with all the other characters. Guess they really didn't give a crap about anyone other than Watney. Or maybe they just really had to hit the restrooms, lol.
I thought it was kind of funny that as soon as the credits started about a third of the mostly packed theater which was mostly older adults and seniors left, despite the screen still showing stuff with all the other characters. Guess they really didn't give a crap about anyone other than Watney. Or maybe they just really had to hit the restrooms, lol.
Callibretto
Member
I think because there's so many times you can tolerate between having a hope at survival, then another disaster happened repeated over and over again.
look at some of the complaint gravity has.
ZackieChan
Member
I'm here in Thailand, and people cannot wait to gtfo of the theater as soon as the movie ends. But when I was in Tokyo, everyone dutifully waits until the very end of the credits. So weird.
The major three are
he bricks pathfinder before setting out for ares 4, nearly gets stuck in a huge sandstorm, and flips the rover on the way.
I feel like it wasn't a huge loss to the film for the sake of pacing
itwasTuesday
He wasn't alone.
I think the book made it feel more like a global event. A few insert shots of people at diners watching news updates or something might of helped. And more China wanting some mutual gain and a shared international space station.
I guess I could of watched it for another 2 hours. More book stuff, day to day stuff on mars.
In the end, really enjoyed. Over Gravity & Interstellar.
I guess I could of watched it for another 2 hours. More book stuff, day to day stuff on mars.
In the end, really enjoyed. Over Gravity & Interstellar.
Callibretto
Member
There's a lot of math and science explaining the thought process of how he solve every problem he had. Like he explain in detail the science of how he make water in the book.
Phat Michael
Banned
I thought the first 30 mins were awesome and the last 30 mins were awesome. They really needed to trim some of the fat away in the middle of the movie as it just seemed to drag on and on. Not a bad film at all but had some pacing issues.
Caught it over the weekend. Didn't like it. Felt it lacked tension, and thought Watney wasn't a particularly likable protagonist. Partially because I didn't think the character was fleshed out enough, and in the end I just found myself not really caring if he was saved, even though I knew he obviously would.
Fallout-NL
Member
This clearly wasn't a film with its goal aimed to rip your heart out and explore the depths of human despair. Or to make us cherish earth by way of making space seem scary and evil. To frame our actions as a species as irreversibly threatening to our future. Dwelling on our doom. Like so many modern sci fi films before it. I think the mostly light hearted dialogue and humor is a reflection of that. It was meant to set a tone.
There is no real villain, only the moments before the human mind overcomes the problem at hand. A constant cycle of human ingenuity overcoming challenges that push our progress as a species forward. A film aimed to uplift you and make you cherish the capabilities of the human species as individuals and as a whole. In a sappy sense, to inspire us to achieve greatness as individuals and as a species. To reinvigorate our desire to explore the universe.
To me the entire movie is a refreshing shift from almost every sci fi film I have ever seen. It's not my favorite sci fi film but I would love to see more films go the route this film does.
There is no real villain, only the moments before the human mind overcomes the problem at hand. A constant cycle of human ingenuity overcoming challenges that push our progress as a species forward. A film aimed to uplift you and make you cherish the capabilities of the human species as individuals and as a whole. In a sappy sense, to inspire us to achieve greatness as individuals and as a species. To reinvigorate our desire to explore the universe.
To me the entire movie is a refreshing shift from almost every sci fi film I have ever seen. It's not my favorite sci fi film but I would love to see more films go the route this film does.
Fallout-NL
Member
glassgannon
Banned
Did not like it,
dude reminded of the home alone kid.
except in his late 30s, trapped alone on mars and not his home, and for a year and not a day or two.
despite his survival changes being a fraction of the kid's , the manchild was goofy throughout and even the kid fell under duress at some point ffs.(and does that make home alone a serious film about despair?)
dont take this the wrong way, i laughed, quite a bit,but the movie needed to be less ridiculous and absurd at a lot of the times for me to consider it memorable.Considering the premise itself was kinda laughable(which i dont blame the movie for because it was what it was, but who the f*** streams nasa rescue missions on times square ?sure they could edit that out? not to mention how easily the crew agreed to go on a suicide mission (mutiny) whilst saying casual goodbyes to their 2yr olds . i mean, not even a shred of emotion about the thought of making your kids orphans?). Atleast have SOME real emotion...
went in expecting a lot more.
solid
3/5 though
dude reminded of the home alone kid.
except in his late 30s, trapped alone on mars and not his home, and for a year and not a day or two.
despite his survival changes being a fraction of the kid's , the manchild was goofy throughout and even the kid fell under duress at some point ffs.(and does that make home alone a serious film about despair?)
dont take this the wrong way, i laughed, quite a bit,but the movie needed to be less ridiculous and absurd at a lot of the times for me to consider it memorable.Considering the premise itself was kinda laughable(which i dont blame the movie for because it was what it was, but who the f*** streams nasa rescue missions on times square ?sure they could edit that out? not to mention how easily the crew agreed to go on a suicide mission (mutiny) whilst saying casual goodbyes to their 2yr olds . i mean, not even a shred of emotion about the thought of making your kids orphans?). Atleast have SOME real emotion...
went in expecting a lot more.
solid
3/5 though
Banderdash
Member
no.
Amen.
In a year and cycle of Superheroes and killer robots, films like The Martian with a Sci-fi bent but grounded (however many actual inaccuracies) should be absolutely lauded and encouraged.
I hope younger teens see it and it really captures some of their imagination to imagine a future where technical solutions and teamwork can solve exploration issues as opposed to shooting their way out of problems.
Chittagong
Gold Member
Went out to see the film yesterday. Loved it.
Most importantly, I thought the film depicted Mars beautifully in 3D, really gave you a sense of what it could feel like to be on Mars. Actually, given a choice, I would probably stay on Earth which is a diverse paradise compared to Mars, which is like a planet-sized Georgia-Azerbaijan boarder region.
Secondly, I loved how the film focused on the practical problems of being in such a remote location, from food to electricity, water to communications (or lack of them). Most sci-fi films just gloss over these problems, whereas in Martian they were the main focus, which is really refreshing.
Plot-wise, the film kept an enjoyable pace. There was nothing mindblowing, and the characters weren't deep at all, but it was a fun ride with come good chuckles.
8/10. Solid.
Most importantly, I thought the film depicted Mars beautifully in 3D, really gave you a sense of what it could feel like to be on Mars. Actually, given a choice, I would probably stay on Earth which is a diverse paradise compared to Mars, which is like a planet-sized Georgia-Azerbaijan boarder region.
Secondly, I loved how the film focused on the practical problems of being in such a remote location, from food to electricity, water to communications (or lack of them). Most sci-fi films just gloss over these problems, whereas in Martian they were the main focus, which is really refreshing.
Plot-wise, the film kept an enjoyable pace. There was nothing mindblowing, and the characters weren't deep at all, but it was a fun ride with come good chuckles.
8/10. Solid.
Mars and space travel is so overrated on a human triumph/emotional scale, so the moments of reflection and introspection with regards to this mission and the gravity of Matt's accomplishments, didn't strike hard for me. His humor was....well, he came off as obnoxious at times. Just hard to believe someone could be even THIS optimistic in the face of the situation presented to him.
That said, it was a great science-y film. Light hearted adventure and amazing visuals; so I had fun for sure. Great job Ridley, glad to see you back on the saddle.
That said, it was a great science-y film. Light hearted adventure and amazing visuals; so I had fun for sure. Great job Ridley, glad to see you back on the saddle.
Im not sure I follow this. Are you saying a species being able to land on another planet and return successfully would not rank in the pantheon of human accomplishment?
No, its a great technical achievement as a species, I'm saying I can't draw any profound emotion from such achievements.
More, cool, than anything, but it never feels "bigger than me" I guess.
Social accomplishments hit me harder in the feels.
Tertullian
Member
Now I want a version of The Martian where two bumbling robbers show up at the Hab in the end, and Watney has to defeat them by laying a series of shockingly cruel science-based jury-rigged death traps.
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
Saw it. Enjoyed it quite a bit. Was fearful of it being overhyped and lackluster like Interstellar. Damon did a fine job.
Only real issue were some things made up for movie impact. Like everyone in the world giving a shit about the space program and this stranded astronaut. I can buy everything else, but that was a bit too much to handle.
Only real issue were some things made up for movie impact. Like everyone in the world giving a shit about the space program and this stranded astronaut. I can buy everything else, but that was a bit too much to handle.
Been thinking about it a little more. I think the "problem" is that The Martian is at its core a family movie, not in the same vein as Interstellar or Gravity. This movie could have been made by Disney.
I mean, there's even several instances of slapstick in there.
This might be why some people including myself find the movie corny and the humor offputting.
Wait...you really don't think everyone would be interested in that? A bunch of people got stuck in a mine and everyone watched that. A person stuck on Mars would dwarf that.
C'mon now.
Lol, it's actually amazing thinking about that. This film seems to be getting a lot of praise for their accuracy. They are quirky, yet serious. And in Promotheus.... well, they couldn't turn right.
I'm a little disappointed that there never was any mention of "The Watney Report".
bananafactory
Banned
He used one rover as a trailer and cut out the top to fit the oxygenator and water reclaimer so that he had air and water for his trip. He hooked that up to the other rover he was driving in and connected them with life support systems/cables
Book spoiler if you want to know more:
as he comes up on the ares 4 MAV site he rolls the entire convoy spectacularly and has to put it all back together
Fix The Scientist
Member
Hated it. Not funny at any stage and so much actor-eating.. i know food is an important part of the story but could the characters not spend 50% of the movie chowing down please? It felt like a scifi movie made for the reddit crowd.
ZackieChan
Member
This might be the weirdest opinion I've ever read.
I know they kind of zip through it, but being able to grow fucking potatoes on MARS is a huge accomplishment, and the fact that he has enough food to survive the entire time he's stuck there is a pretty huge and important plot point.
And as a reason to hate it? Just odd, man.
I thought it was a pop tent that he does not use in the movie, but does use in the book
bananafactory
Banned
Maybe he's on a diet.
I'm hopeful for more deleted/extended scenes in the Director's Cut. They've already released one neat scene on YouTube of him continuing the science experiments on Mars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTRy9etXnfs
Just got back from seeing it and it was fun. Some of the tension was killed off with the humor, but it didn't bother me that much. I think I just knew what was going to happen from the start.
The Mars scenery was really cool and kind of wish I saw it in 3D. I was wondering where to find some of the NASA clothes Matt Damon was wearing in the movie. Most things I find online look cheap or out of style. NASA should really make a better clothing lineup.
The Mars scenery was really cool and kind of wish I saw it in 3D. I was wondering where to find some of the NASA clothes Matt Damon was wearing in the movie. Most things I find online look cheap or out of style. NASA should really make a better clothing lineup.
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
I think the only thing that didn't happen that I expected...
Thought someone would die on the rescue mission. Guy on the EVA would get blown off. Commander would sacrifice herself, etc. Was a pleasant surprise for that not to happen.
That's true. I was a little surprised by that as well. I'm just glad to see more space movies. Gravity, Interstellar, and The Martian have all been excellent and I hope we keep getting more space movies in the future.
Discotheque
Banned
this is what people are calling Ridley Scott's return to form?! lmao. it fucking dragged. A good thing it's based on a light-read because the film itself somehow manages to meander at times. I really liked the casting for the most part though and some of the mars shots were nice but this just felt way longer than it needed to be for me. I'm having a hard time deciding if it's as good as American Gangster let alone his best in 10+ years. Matt Damon did a great job though, and I think Jessica Chastain was very spot on casting for Lewis. Sadly I don't think the humor translated so well from the script to screen.
In regards to recent space films I'd certainly put Interstellar and Gravity above it. They're both dumber movies (interstellar especially). But they both also are far more amazing visually (there's no great shots in here when there should be) and the former is also pretty ambitious despite being full of it's fair share of problems. And so much more tense too, this is kinda just...there. nothing really edge-of-your-seat worthy.
What I'd give The Martian over those is Mark Watney though, Matt Damon's portrayal makes him the most likable character in any of the 3 films being discussed.
I wouldn't call this bad by any means but it's not great either. Perfect matinee 7/10 kinda movie. not the type to have strong feelings about positive or negative. Meh...
the closest in tone I could compare it to is Apollo 13 but that was so much better I think.
edit: anyways bring on the next big space movie. i love how this has become a yearly thing for the past 3 years.
In regards to recent space films I'd certainly put Interstellar and Gravity above it. They're both dumber movies (interstellar especially). But they both also are far more amazing visually (there's no great shots in here when there should be) and the former is also pretty ambitious despite being full of it's fair share of problems. And so much more tense too, this is kinda just...there. nothing really edge-of-your-seat worthy.
What I'd give The Martian over those is Mark Watney though, Matt Damon's portrayal makes him the most likable character in any of the 3 films being discussed.
I wouldn't call this bad by any means but it's not great either. Perfect matinee 7/10 kinda movie. not the type to have strong feelings about positive or negative. Meh...
the closest in tone I could compare it to is Apollo 13 but that was so much better I think.
edit: anyways bring on the next big space movie. i love how this has become a yearly thing for the past 3 years.
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