By CHRIS PUNTO & NATALIE SACKET
Columnists
With Homecoming right around the corner, take a trip with us to see an out-of-this-world film! This week we are reviewing yet another movie where Matt Damon has to be rescued…seriously Matt, why can’t you ever just be where you’re supposed to be? Our pick this week:
“The Martian” (2015)
Chris-
4.5 out of 5 stars
Does anyone else hate these corny intros? Anyways, this week’s pick was “The Martian,” a great film that stars Matt Damon making NASA people very angry with fake science.
Just kidding, guys. I really enjoyed this movie. To me, this movie was the version of “Interstellar” that we deserve. There’s no long, drawn-out story to immerse us in a world that we don’t care about. It’s action packed and just an overall great film.
Matt Damon definitely makes a better astronaut than anyone in the last 5 space movies (sorry Sandra Bullock). His performance in this film has convinced me now more than ever that he would make a great Big-Screen superhero. Maybe the Green Lantern that gets it right.
The visual effects were also pretty good. If there was any lapse, it was forgivable. I can imagine that most of the budget went to getting a good cast.
Bottom line: Short and simple, go watch this movie. It’s a little lengthy and might even stress you out at times with suspense. But you get to see “Saving Private Ryan” in space, so it’s totally worth your time and money.
Natalie-
4 out of 5 stars
“The Martian” is a-Mars-ing, simply out of this world! At its core, is an epic movie about the power of survival and knowledge. When I first saw trailers of this film, I was under the assumption that it would be a mediocre remake of Sandra Bullock in “Gravity” last year. Fortunately, I was galaxies off in my guess.
“The Martian” is highly scientific, but not to the point that it ostracizes the everyday viewer.
Though I’m an English major who is extremely dense when it comes to scientific matters, particularly matters in this film like botany, astronomy, chemistry, and physics, I managed to keep up with the plot of the film. I will say that I was amazed by the intelligence of character Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon.
He made living on Mars, growing food, doing surgery on yourself, building shelter, and making a spaceship look easy. It was like a really intense version of “Cast Away,” but in space, and there isn’t a volleyball.
Matt Damon did a stellar (no pun intended…well kinda) job in this role. He managed to capture the drama of the situation, while inserting bits of unexpected humor. Damon transitioned between the levels of emotion with ease.
“The Martian” is a truly beautiful film, with impeccable filming and special effects. This adaptation of the novel by Andy Weir is sophisticated and truly a work of art.
Bottom Line: It’s a fun outer-space adventure, so climb aboard your spaceship and head to theaters to see this film.