The Martian did so well at the box office its opening weekend, with a $55 million take, that it fell only slightly behind the all time record for the month of October. That was set by another space film, 2013’s Gravity, which made $55.7 million domestically. (It’s still possible that The Martian will surpass Gravity once the final numbers are in.) The Martian also made an additional $45.2 million internationally this weekend.
The Martian has been lauded by audiences and critics, and should continue to perform well in the coming weeks. Based on the novel by Andy Weir, the film uses real science and math to explain the trials of astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon), who gets stranded on Mars after being separated from the rest of his crew. Director Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Alien) and screenwriter Drew Goddard (Lost, World War Z) collaborated with NASA to ensure authenticity and were allowed unprecedented access to NASA facilities and technology.
Of course NASA just announced last week that water was found on Mars, and this surely boosted interest in the film. The timing of that announcemenet was likely planned by NASA, considering how much they’re benefitting from cross promotion. Director Scott recently said that he knew there was water on Mars “months ago” but by that point it was too late to work that detail into the film.
Warning: spoilers for The Martian follow
This was a thrilling, fast-paced film that had me wringing my hands and trying not to cry at key moments. Despite all the tension, there were moments of real levity. The characters were unique, the dialogue was clever and even the secondary characters, like Donald Glover’s eccentric scientist, were highly watchable.
Watney is a hard working go-getter with a sharp sense of humor and the ability to power through with ingenuity and skill. He managed to entertain himself by keeping busy and giving video confessionals, never losing his sense of purpose or determination. Damon turned in a sublime performance that kept his wiseass character relatable, his boasting and bragging a necessary coping mechanism to the life or death situation he faced daily.
My only complaint is that everything was tied up with a bow at the end. No one died, there were no villains and everyone seemed highly competent. Even when the crew committed mutiny to save Watney, there was hardly any blowback. At some point you knew that that everyone would survive. In the entire film there was only a brief moment of human error, a calculated 5% risk that was overcome when the Chinese government stepped in with classified technology. The conflicts within NASA were minimal as everyone had the objective to bring Watney home.
There was a glossy sheen to The Martian, the presumption that most people are logical and solution-oriented and that peril can universally be overcome with the application of knowledge. If this were true in reality, we would already have colonies on Mars.
The Martian may bring Damon his first acting Oscar, and it could also break the Oscar losing streak for sci-fi films.
I finished this book in one sitting so I am excited to see it translate to film. If you have not read the book, please read it. It is excellent.
so did i …..it was so engaging
Do you recommend reading the book or seeing the movie first?
@Laura in LA …
Read the book first.
I would read the book first. The book is fantastic and if you are into audio books then go for that. It is terrific.
I read the book and it pulled me right in. Going to see the movie on Tuesday.
Do you think it’d be appropriate for a 5 year old?
I don’t think so-he says the f word several times (and there’s a rear nudity shot of his scrawny but still fine butt). I would think a lot of the science & plot tension would go over the head of a 5 yr old and they’d be bored–it’s not that kind of action film. Maybe pre-teen?
It depends on your kid’s interest level. My 9 yo is obsessed with science. He loved it and followed the plot with no trouble.
Thanks guys. My daughter is obsessed with space and Mars, I feel like we’ve gone to every planetarium around here and seen every documentary. She’s pissed off at NASA though bc they were mean to Pluto and she also thinks they controlled the asteroid that knocked out the dinosaurs (she’s only five!) that’s why I thought this movie would be neat – to see how the NASA team works. But since there’s cussing and a little nudity, I’ll skip it. Thanks for your feedback!
Loved it but should have starred Sandra Bullock.
Saw it this weekend and really enjoyed it.
The Walk was really good too. Don’t see it in 3D if vertigo is a problem for you, though!
It’s a decent movie but I was expecting something FAR better. Basically, it’s a love letter to NASA, Damon is not all that captivating and you know all along that everything is going to end well. Hardly any suspense at all. Gravity was much better… Think of the first Alien movie and weep. Nothing will ever come close IMO.
@Minxx …
You obviously didn’t read the novel “The Martian” is based on.
MTE @Emma
In reply to this:
“My only complaint is that everything was tied up with a bow at the end.”
Well it was based on a book with a substantial cult following.
“No one died, there were no villains and everyone seemed highly competent.”
No one died bc it was Mark’s story and the near death experiences suffered by him and his crew mates were the . Everyone was highly competent bc…hello, NASA? Astronauts? Space travel?? So many things can go wrong, you really need to know wtf you’re doing if sh-t hits the fan. You must be competent to be sent into outer space for the journey they made, and if you’re on the team responsible for communicating with them while they’re there, and ensuring they make it home alive.
“Even when the crew committed mutiny to save Watney, there was hardly any blowback.”
The blow back was not being allowed to go back into space. Additionally, did those on the ground really had a choice to do/say anything? Also, it’s about cutting what’s not necessary for the story. Seeing blow back from NASA isn’t needed for the film and the story they were trying to tell.
As for the rest, I think only people who’ve first read the book would understand why it was presented the way it was.
YES. Had me at the edge of my seat and made me laugh a lot, which I wasn’t expecting at all. The soundtrack was genius, and Damon nailed his role. Also, I was so happy when I saw Kristen Wiig and Seb Stan!!! I had no idea they’d be in it.
I saw it, I thought it was “meh.” My husband said it was like “they were trying to do Castaway, but on Mars.”
But the difference with Castaway was that it had real human conflict and elements, and was as much about Tom Hanks dealing with isolation and missing his life back home as the actual physical aspects of his survival, as well as what happens when he gets back, and the impacts of isolation and all that.
I was sort of disappointed in that it ended where it did. How does the experience change Damon’s character? Such a profound experience would have to change a person fundamentally, but it felt like he didn’t really change much. So I guess I felt like it was about the science and all that stuff but not really a character-based movie. But that’s just how I felt.
Glad to see other people be “meh” about this film. I really wanted to love it, but I didn’t, for the reasons you and someone else above outline. I get that there is only so much one can accomplish in a film of about 2 hours, but I would have liked to have seen some edge, some human drama, some conflict. A Ridley Scott film with no edge! I also didn’t care for the casting at all. Damon was decent, but everyone else was totally forgettable, and I didn’t think the rest of the Mars crew had the charisma or gravitas to be convincing as astronauts selected for a Mars mission. Actually, I liked Sean Bean. He was crusty enough to be convincing as a jaded federal worker (I’m one myself). So the science was good, hooray, but little else was.
Yeah, my problem was that, while the film had decent suspense, I didn’t really “bond” with Damon’s character. So even when he was in peril, it wasn’t super-scary because I just didn’t hugely care if he lived or died. The film didn’t really give a huge reason to root for Damon’s character as a PERSON. What kind of guy is he? I’m not sure the film really tells you. Why should you care about what happens to him? The film, for me, never really gave a really clear answer other than, “He’s an astronaut, root for him!”
Guys … read the book the film is based upon.
@Emma ………why? The movie can stand on it’s own. You know it’s possible that people don’t end up liking a movie. Like that’s a thing that happens and it’s okay even if Matt Damon is the star?
I thought it was very true to the book though. The character is kind of unreflective and cheerful, and just gets on with it. The soundtrack is true to the book too. I think they just wanted a really positive family-friendly film, which is true to the book. I liked the movie and thought the sets were really well imagined. The editing was a bit abrupt in some parts but overall an enjoyable and humorous film (the humour also being true to the book). I like more serious SF films as a rule though.
Really enjoyed this film and saw it with an octagenarian movie buff who loved it. The soundtrack had me singing when I left the theater and there are some truly funny bits of dialogue that science geeks would have, made funnier by the actual cast members involved.
It was incredible. I loved it and so did my husband.
My 11 year old and I both loved it. I thought Matt Damon was charming in the role.
I can’t wait to see it. Damon keeps getting sexier as the years pass, I always liked him a bit chubby but his current ripped look is unbelievably hot and he looks so young for his age. He has the most beautiful, charming smile. Excellent actor too.
As for people taking everything he says out of context to present him as something he’s obviously not – meh…. Sick of people being jumped on and demonised for no reasonable reason. Internet crazies are not representative of the majority of the people, they just mob together and scream over everybody else. It’s become ridiculous.
this
I was dragged to the movie theater by my best friend in the hopes of distracting me, but I remember nothing about the film. Probably my state of mind at the moment as I’ve read the book. I honestly couldn’t tell you a thing about it.
“If this were true in reality, we would already have colonies on Mars. ”
Well no, because we don’t have the technology to support people on Mars. The Martian is set about 20 years from now, and the supposition within that story is that in the near-ish future, we’re only just beginning to explore Mars as we once did the moon. So even in the world of The Martian, they’re not colonizing Mars, they’re just exploring. I think the movie has some elements of unreality (the whole “convertible” thing at the end made me roll my eyes), but if something like that happened, if, say, astronauts were stranded in a disabled space station, I do believe the worldwide scientific community would pull together to save them. That’s just what people do in times of crisis. I would have actually liked to see more from the Chinese space agency, and how they contributed beyond just turning over a rocket or whatever they did (see, I’m not entirely clear on that plot point, and it would have been more interesting than more moralizing and arguing at NASA). I liked The Martian, but I would have liked more scenes of the scientists working together to solve the problem, and less Jeff Daniels yelling at people. I do agree that the ending skimped over the fall out for everyone involved. Did they court martial Commander Lewis? Or did they just ask her to resign? I assume she wouldn’t be allowed to continue in the space program after leading a mutiny, even if it did pay off in the end. I would have liked to know a little more of what happened to her.
LOVED this movie. Loved loved loved it! #nerdalert
My five year old daughter is obsessed with space and Mars particularly. I think it’d be interesting for her to see the team and process involved in going to space…how is this movie? Is it too scary or violent for a 5 year old?
It’s not scary, though they do say a lot of swear words.
A 5 year old might be upset at the part when Matt Damon has an open wound he staples shut himself. The nonspace parts also may be boring to a 5 year old. I wouldn’t take my almost 6 year old to it.
I’ve been excited for months to see this movie. Even if Damon is in it. He’s not at all who I pictured for Watney. I pictured someone younger, but apparently the average age at which an astronaut goes into space is rising. Good news for me I guess. I’ll have to see his performance, but after reading the book I’m in agreement with a few others that there’s not much development in the astronaut beyond being a smartass. He gets upset and he moves on. Which is fine, it makes sense. He has a job to do, but the book doesn’t explore that development side so well. The science is the real main character. In the movie it has to be a lot different. I’m excited to see how they pulled it together. I love the sci fi movies that really want the science to be as accurate as possible.