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The Martian
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Author:  pogo [ Sat Oct 10, 2015 11:21 pm ]
Post subject:  The Martian

It ain't Obscura, but go see it.
It's clearly designed to be a crowd pleaser.
It was so warm hearted that I did get a mild sugar shock.
Matt Damon plays the Tom Hanks role.
Stranded spaceman. Four crises.
Mild, actually very convincing humor.
And it speaks very well of science & space exploration.
With the caveat that sh!t happens.
Much beyond that would be too much of a give away.
But the tension is well handled.
Though the crisis at the end was a bit much
If you liked Apollo 13. and Europa Report you'll like this.
Here's an excellent review.http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/whats-missing-from-the-martian

Author:  L.A. Connection [ Wed Oct 14, 2015 3:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Martian

THE MARTIAN is a good movie. It's a cross between ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS and APOLLO 13, with dashes of GRAVITY, MAROONED and even, SOLARIS, tossed in. It's well made, well acted and heart-warming. What it isn't, is great (not surprisingly, it's already in the Top 150 movies of ALL time on imdb). And, the songs were cool even if they seem like outtakes from THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY soundtrack.

THE MARTIAN is so well done, that there is little to criticize on the surface. But, the underlying issue here is that there is NO suspense. We just know that a big studio blockbuster isn't going to have one of the most popular lead actors around to be left 'lost in space' (or worse). Further, even the crisis that do occur, seem to be surmountable much too easily. The movie even sets up a perfect conflict point when the crew of the rescue ship has to make a choice on whether to go ahead. Pfft. It's all agreed to in a minute or two. Where's the drama in that? (and, the less said about the risible 'mutiny' the better) And, the big scientific breakthrough that gets teased along for half an hour as if it were the equivalent of Einstein's Theory of Relativity? Really? Using a planet's (or moon's) gravity to accelerate? That's been a concept that's been around since the 1960s!!

Don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed THE MARTIAN and even got a lump in my throat during the final rescue scenes. But, once it's over, there is nothing to chew on. To ponder. To speculate about. That's what truly separates a great sci-fi movie from a good one - BLADE RUNNER, 2001, PLANET OF THE APES etc.. People can rag on Christopher Nolan and INTERSTELLAR all they want for it's (admitted) flaws. But, a year later, and I'm still contemplating the mind-bending astrophysics and time-warp theories inbedded in it.

THE MARTIAN is well worth seeing. Just don't expect it to linger in the mind too long.

Author:  IamJacksUserID [ Wed Oct 14, 2015 4:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Martian

LA makes a lot of good points. The movie is so well made, it comes across as almost TOO well made. It is difficult to put a finger on, but the best way I can summarize my disappointment with the experience is by saying that the movie, as a whole, is just oh so HOLLYWOOD. Bright and shiny and pleasing to look at, with a story that could not possibly be any more "feel-good."

The issue with there being "no suspense" isn't so much that the happy ending is telegraphed and predictable. For me, it was the fact that every single challenge facing either the astronaut on Mars or those trying to rescue him was IMMEDIATELY solved. I don't know if this was a pacing issue based on being an adaptation of a novel, but you can't expect suspense when you are solving all of your problems within the very scene that you are presenting them.

I really wish they would have taken more time to introduce the astronauts before all hell broke loose. And I never got any real sense of dread or danger from the initial scenes establishing Mark's predicament. When he finally says "I'm not dying here," it did not feel earned.

Like LA says, a good movie, worth seeing. I just wanted and expected more.

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