If, like me, you prefer movies that stick closely to the book, then this review, at Ars Technica, of “The Martian” is promising.
Screenwriter Drew Goddard has translated Andy Weir’s novel into a script that keeps almost all of the science and humor intact, and director Ridley Scott allows the vast emptiness of Mars to speak for itself, while keeping the gimmicks to a minimum.
And, of course, Matt Damon does wonders for the role of Mark Watney—the best botanist on the planet. The planet of Mars.
I don’t usually rush out and see movies . . . I’m pretty likely to wait and get the DVD if I bother at all . . . but I’d really like to see this one on the big screen. All that “emptiness of Mars,” you know.
Also, this:
…even cast members who have few lines turn in solid performances. The rest of the Ares 3 crew—led by Jessica Chastain’s Commander Melissa Lewis—show off excellent space chops, and the scenes on the ground with NASA paint the agency and its people with one of the kindest brushes in recent memory. This is a movie in which NASA plays a central role—and that’s perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the story.
Yep, sounds like a must-see movie.
With that and “The City and the City” movie series eventually coming up, and the film adaptation of Vonda MacIntyre’s “The Moon and the Sun,” I’m definitely more excited about movies than usual.
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