(From IMDb.com)
Left behind on Mars as dead, astronaut Mark Watney isn’t.
And so, faced with scant food rations, among his many woes, the American astronaut goes botanist bonzai, using his wits and intelligence to come up with a way to grow a crop in, well, his own crap.
That leads him to the second-best line of the movie, as Watney boasts that he’s the best botanist on the planet. Indeed. But the finest line that comes out of Mark Damon’s mouth in this sci-fi adventure written for the screen from the novel by Andy Weir is this: I’ll just science the s**t out of it. Put in the hands of director Ridley Scott, all of this — faraway planet, man on a solitary mission, mountain of dilemmas if not insurmountable surely inconceivable — makes for one gripping tale. All 2 hours, 22 minutes of it had the Saturday matinée crowd at the Regal Cinemas’ big theater in Syracuse mall Shoppingtown at constant high alert.
Of, if only the real space program were to gain such attention and affection these days. Oh, wait. NASA wouldn’t want this type of tension and possible calamity for a manned program to Mars, now would it?
Damon surely makes the most of his role’s moments on Mars. Many days — or sols, as they’re called up there — roll by as the astronaut works the gadgets and figures the percentages and refuses to give up.
On earth, NASA officials scramble and hopes and fight amongst themselves to come up with the right steps. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Jeff Daniels clash and reconcile and conjur as Vincent Kapoor and his boss Teddy Sanders, the highest rankers who play the game and take the blame as the spokeswoman played very seriously be Kristen Wiig tries to make all of this palatable to the public. In space, the fellow astronauts on his mission get over their guilt and surprise at the delayed news that he’s alive. Jessica Chastain as Commander Melissa Lewis is always intense and on top of her diverse and smart crew. Wiig looks slightly uncomfortable without any comic touches in her wheelhouse, and Daniels’ makes his NASA chief come off very much like his achor role in HBO’s now-gone The Newsroom, without any of the endearing quirks.
Small complaints, those, because Damon pulls them all together as his Mark Watney grows food, a beard and ways to get from there to here that any space program anywhere would love.
Do you pay attention to our world’s real space explorations these days? Do you want to put people on Mars? What’s your favorite space movie, and why?
Mark Bialczak 
Def want to see this one, too! Many at NASA have dreamed of the “Mars reality” for many years, as many were working towards this goal 2 decades ago — then they decided to build the ISS & much of the Mars work stopped, though human exploration analog missions have been ongoing.Really going to Mars is going to take lots of money & public Interest . . .
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The problem is time and money, Sadie. So long to get there as well as so much. The movie drives home that first point and dances with the second as well. I hope you enjoy it. You make a great point yourself, my friend. The public must create the stir for this to become a reality.
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Mr. B and I saw it on Saturday. I thought it was good and entertaining but it didn’t blow me away. I think the hype had me expecting more – as is usually the case. Have you seen Everest?
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I have not seen Everest, Mrs. B. I’m sticking to one a week at the theater. Yes, you are right about hype sometimes spoiling the experience somewhat.
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I loved this movie!! 🙂
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Yay! Another out-of-this-world believer in this one, Leyla. 🙂
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I do want to see this MBM. I haven’t paid much attention in the last few years to the space program. And as far as manning Mars goes, maybe we ought to pay attention to saving our earth before we screw up another planet. 😉
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Valid point you make, MBC. 😉
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It sounds like it’s going to be a good movie , hopefully a lot better then gravity . I think your nine year old will be fine to watch it.
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i’ve been following the space program, but not like in the old days when there were frequent launches and lots of drama. my fav is still ‘2001 space oddessy’ , but i’m not a huge fan of space movies in general.
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Hal thanks you for remembering his mark in the movies, Beth. Bring on the score from that classic, too, right?
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I rarely go to the movies but I think I’d like to see this on the big screen… I am a big sci-fi fan but so many films in that genre fall flat… but after reading your review this one might be the ticket!
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Yes, it’s a big screen choice for sure, Ros. I didn’t go for the 3D, but that might be fun if that works for you. 🙂
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I’m sure I’ll see this when it hits cable, Mark. I really love Mission to Mars 🙂 I like space movies. I don’t care if people go to Mars, but I’m not signing up!
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I think the space trip to Mars would take too long for me, too, Joey. I have to stop the CAR every two hours now. 🙂
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Andy Weir is my hero right now, the poster child for self-publishing. Wow, did you read how he got it done?
I saw an Apollo flight on t.v. at school when I was just a little thing. I don’t really follow it right now but I like looking at the photographs on http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html . I also like to wish on stars. Does that count?
Favourite space movies- in this house that means Star Trek which I never saw until I met my husband. It’s a you can’t beat em join em kind of thing, but I like some of it. I think 2001 was really long but a very beautiful film. Gravity gave me motion sickness. Contact was interesting, on hubby’s short favourite list after Star Trek First Contact.
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No, I didn’t follow the Andy Weir portion of the storyline, Rose. Now I will check up on your self-published hero!
NASA knows photography, that’s for sure.
And, I still have not seen any of the Star Wars franchise. I have been told I must see the first trilogy before this new one is released. 😮
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I didn’t get to go to movies when I was a kid, and when I graduated it was the first thing I wanted to do. I saw Empire Strikes back about 3 times because it was showing in my small town that week. Love it
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Good recommendation, Rose. 🙂
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p.s. I look forward to your assessment when you are ready to watch it (if you do)
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I will track it down, Rose.
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Gosh, never really much of a space movie person. We just saw Exodus with was also a Ridley Scott one. Maybe the boy will be interested in seeing this one.
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This was waaaaay more mainstream entertaining that Exodus, Marissa. I ripped that one pretty heavily. Ridley refound his way here. Yes, the boy would did it. 🙂
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Yeah, I found a lot of faults with it myself, the first being that Christian Bale was way too, uh, shall we say ‘ethnically generic’ for the role.
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Yes, that was the first of many foibles, I agree, Marissa.
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Hmm, sounds like a good watch Mark. I”d definitely go.
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It’s a topic that our generation still holds as fascinating, I think, Paul, this space exploration.
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I shall see this out-of-this-world movie, Mark, thanks to your recommendation. I love science fiction books and movies, so it’s tough for me to pick my favorite space film. So many great ones — 2001, Star Wars, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians …. oooops! That last one sucks, actually, but I couldn’t avoid making the association. Great review!
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Thanks, Ann. I like this one way better than Gravity, the last space blockbuster I caught. 😮 I missed Santa and the Martians!
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I wasn’t all that wild about Gravity either, Mark. I look forward to seeing this one!
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I love space movies and have been thinking about taking my son to see this one. What do you think? 9-year-old okay?
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Some profanity, Rachel. Mature theme regarding death and desolation. As long as he’s not going to have nightmares about being left behnd in space, I think it’s OK.
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