The Small Fries

On October 5, The Martian hit theaters. It is the latest sci-fi movie to hit the big screen that involves interplanetary space travel. Since Interstellar came out in fall of 2014, I’ve been looking for a similar movie to obsess over. Interstellar was great in every field: graphics, casting, score, etc. But what drew me to Interstellar was the science behind the plot. Kip Thorne, a theoretical physicist, was even a consultant during the writing and production processes. I knew this movie was a one of a kind. I wasn’t sure I would find a movie that I would like just as much, or more. That is...until I watched The Martian.

From left: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, and Aksel Hannie

Matt Damon stars in this sci-fi drama as Mark Watney, the best botanist on Mars. No, seriously, he grew a crop of potatoes on Mars. He was stranded on the planet after his team had to make an emergency evacuation during a storm that led them to believe Mark was dead. After being stranded for months, logging his experiences, and finding ways to survive he makes contact with NASA - who is under heavy scrutiny for the failed Mars mission. Now begins the fight to bring him home.

Mark and his Martian potatoes

I don’t want to give too much away about the movie, because it’s such a wonderful piece of film that everyone needs to see it for themselves. This star studded cast does not disappoint. Along with Matt Damon we see Jessica Chastain, Sean Bean, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, and Chiwetel Ejiofor making up the majority of the cast. Together, along with several others, they work to rescue Watney. The entire time I was watching the movie my heart was racing. Are they going to get there on time? What if they miss their interception? Jessica Chastain plays Melissa Lewis, their commanding officer, who is in charge of the Ares III Mission. I loved her in Interstellar, so imagine my excitement when I saw she was in this movie as well. She has a knack for playing strong female leads, and in this role she doesn’t back down to any challenge the team faces as they try to bring Watney home.

Ares III crew headed back to get Mark

The soundtrack was fun and full of disco hits with a few ABBA songs thrown in. Watney kept mentioning his dislike for the type of music, but Lewis’s musical tracks left behind were full of the “great” disco oldies. It gave his time on Mars, although serious, a lighter feeling. Though the thought of his immediate peril was always in the back of my mind, hearing the light and bouncy music made it easier to accept the dangers Mark was facing on a daily basis.

Mark waiting for the solar panels on the Rover to recharge

Under the direction of Ridley Scott, the cast flawlessly pulls off this wonderfully written script that has a healthy balance of serious and humor. We always have the dangers and the risks underneath the much needed comedic relief. Honestly, I think without some of the witty one-liners and comical situations, I think The Martian would have been too dark. It shows that you should make the best out of any situation, because you never know when it’ll end in the violent vacuum that is Outer Space. Though it won Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes this year, I do believe that it was more than just a comedy and has the potential to pull through as the year’s Best Motion Picture at the Academy Awards. However, it does have some tough competition that we plan on reviewing up until the Oscars on February 28, 2016.

The Martian is now on Blue-Ray and DVD!

--Kasey