The Martian

The Martian

Rating 8.5 out of 10

I read the book of the same title by Andy Weir earlier in the year and was excited to see it was already going to be a movie. It always makes you leery that they will screw it up.  I'm glad to report that for the most part they got it right.  The casting was spot on.  The effects I saw on the bigger screen was fantastic.  Matt Damon does a great job in the lead.  I liked this movie alot.

In the future NASA is regularly sending manned missions to Mars.  On the latest one a freak storm blows up and the crew is forced to head to the ship in a hurry and cut the mission short.  On their way to load up a combinations antenna blows of and hits Mark Watney in the chest.  It takes him out into the storm and as far as anyone on the crew can tell he is dead.  The commander (Jessica Chastain) with the ship on the verge of blowing over and stranding everyone makes the tough decision to leave Watney for dead and take off.

As it turns out the antenna pierced Watney's suit and taken all his stats offline. His blood seals the hole in his suit and saves his life.  Glad to be alive he realizes the problem being while he has plenty of water and air another mission can't get to Mars for four years and he only has a years worth of food.  He has to figure out how to stay alive.  NASA eventually realizes he is alive and puts things in full motion to rescue.

As I said great cast.  I thought Matt Damon was spot on.  Can't go wrong with Jessica Chastain in any movie.  Michael Pena and Kate Mara are funny and entertaining as crew members determined to save Watney. Jeff Daniels is always good when he's not in Dumb and Dumber mode.

Good movie.  I was entertained.  Go see this on a big screen.  Don't wait for rental.