The Martian

Based on the book by Andy Weir, The Martian follows astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) as he’s forced to fend for himself after he’s accidentally left behind during a routine mission on Mars – with the movie also detailing the efforts to mount a rescue back on Earth. The degree to which The Martian manages to entertain is rather astounding, to be sure, as Weir’s obsession with the minute, science-filled details of Mark’s plight rendered his book all but unreadable. It’s an arms-length vibe that’s handily avoided by scripter Drew Goddard, as the narrative, which moves at a relatively brisk pace, effectively ensures that Mark’s various solo endeavors are both intriguing and understandable – with the bulk of the film’s exposition left in the hands of a very capable supporting case that includes, among others, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, and Sean Bean. There’s little doubt, however, that The Martian‘s severely overlong running time (144 minutes!) paves the way for a flabby midsection and less-than-captivating third act, as filmmaker Ridley Scott offers up a series of interesting yet padded-out sequences that could (and should) have been tightened during the editing phase. It’s consequently not too surprising that the climactic stretch, detailing Mark’s inevitable rescue, isn’t quite able to generate the excitement or thrills that Scott has surely intended, and it is, in the end, fairly obvious that the movie’s needlessly epic runtime prevents it from attaining the heights it’s aiming for. Nevertheless, The Martian stands as an often potent sci-fi drama that benefits substantially from Damon’s almost impossible charismatic performance – with the passable vibe often heightened by the ongoing emphasis on the fascinating (and often irresistible) teamwork that ensues between the folks working to bring Mark home.

*** out of ****