Movie Review: The Martian (2015)

The movie stars Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig and Kate Mara.

I ended up getting this movie through Netflix a few weeks ago but didn't have an opportunity to finally watch it until last night. When we did, I must admit I had some doubts about whether or not I would enjoy the movie because, even though it had good reviews, it wasn't the type of film I normally take the time to watch. However, after seeing it, I have to say I definitely enjoyed it.

The best way to describe this film is it is a lot like the 1995 film, "Apollo 13." There are just to major differences. First, since this movie was fiction, the ending wasn't already common knowledge. And, second, there were a lot more potentially deadly disasters in this film. That combination made this movie very entertaining.

The thing I liked, in particular, about this film was the fact Watney (Damon) had his share of impossible successes but, at the same time, he, and the team trying to help him from Earth, had a growing list of failures too.

This did create a surprising amount of suspense whenever he or somebody else tried something to extend his life expectancy because there was no guarantee it would work. In fact, on more than one occasion, there was a setback that shortened the amount of time he could live on the planet.

Some parts of the movie were a little predictable, including NASA's ultimate plan to rescue him (something I kind of guess would end up being the case). But, even on those occasions, the film still kept me guessing a bit as, once again, something would happen to keep the plan from being pulled off exactly as drawn up. As a result of this, I did find I was on the edge of my seat much more than I thought I would be.

From the previews, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this film. But, it turned out to be a fantastic film and I'm glad I finally took the time to watch it. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it.

My Grade: A