This movie would be classified by many as a science fiction piece, but I feel it falls more into the drama category. There are no attacks by aliens, no alien virus mutating people, no laser wars, or anything vaguely like these scenarios. This is a story about a man stranded on Mars and his fight to survive.
Of the movies I've seen coming out in 2015 I would say The Martian is one of the best ones to hit the screen. I'm not a big Matt Damon fan. However I did like his Bourne movies, and I like him in this one.
Matt did an excellent job of portraying his character, Mark Watney. The struggles this character had to face were believable and his solutions to those problems were equally believable. The plot of the movie is rock solid, and these days many movies lack this essential quality to make them hits.
Matt also had a phenomenal supporting cast to help push things home. Among them are Sean Bean, Jeff Daniels, and Benedict Wong. Wong is one of those actors I see as highly underrated. Jessica Chastain did an excellent job in her role as Melissa Lewis and I think it would be nice to see her in more movies of this type. She did very well all the way around.
Another aspect I like about The Martian is the job other departments did for it. Everything wasn't overdone. Many movies overdo special effects, wardrobe, sets, and makeup, and it's not flattering to the movie. If anything, it drags it down. Everything done in this movie by these departments was done very well, and quite believable. Being able to believe that what you're seeing could actually happen, truly adds to the enjoyment of what you're watching for any visual entertainment venue.
The Martian grabs you from the beginning and holds on tight all the way up until the seat grabbing end. Unlike a lot of them the motion picture industry like to put out. The plot is solid, the special effects are first rate, and the actors know their craft.
If you're picking movies to go see or rent, then I'd say put The Martian at the top or near the top of your list. It's a definite winner in my opinion.
IMDB: The Martian
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