The Martian (2015)

[nobodyyoucare]

Saw it last night.  Haven't read the book yet, but I really want to read it now.  What really surprised me about this film (never really paid much attention to the trailers either), was the humor in it.  Watney is just a funny dude, and I loved all his reactions to everything that kept happening to him.  I have to think being isolated for that long would drive anyone insane, and you need some kind of humor to get through it.  But I honestly could not keep it together when Watney almost blew himself up trying to make water, and then we see him on camera talking like normal, only with steam and smoke still coming off his clothes.

 

 

Loved the Iron Man references and the "Council of Elrond", with Bean's character there.  At least they didn't go too on the  nose, and find a way for his character to say "One doesn't simply just...."

 

 

Well he was trained and one thing they train is to not panic when things go bad. Panicking or acting on fear gets you killed. So after nearly being blown up you would just take a few breaths and concentrate on the next steps if you were unhurt or work on your injuries if you were. Either unhurt or injured you remain calm and aware of what is going on. 

 

 

Ridley Scott wanted to get rid of the council of elrod joke.  http://www.hitfix.com/news/heres-what-the-martian-author-had-to-say-about-those-book-to-movie-changes 

[drmka9]

Yeah, the only reason why Lewis isn't the EVA specialist is because she's the Mission Commander. She could have the same level of competency when conducting EVA as Beck, or greater. Beck's designation as EVA specialist is something assigned, not inherent.

There's still a protocol and chain of command, though, and Lewis messed with both of those. I honestly don't think it would bother me if they had established her as having any EVA history or abilities.

 

And truthfully, it doesn't bother me all that much. It's just the largest of the differences between the book and the film, and both interpretations are great. I think I overall prefer the book, but the film is still one of the best I've seen in some time.

[Mars477]

There's still a protocol and chain of command, though, and Lewis messed with both of those. I honestly don't think it would bother me if they had established her as having any EVA history or abilities.

 

And truthfully, it doesn't bother me all that much. It's just the largest of the differences between the book and the film, and both interpretations are great. I think I overall prefer the book, but the film is still one of the best I've seen in some time.

Protocol breach, perhaps, but what chain of command? There's a 24 minute communications delay between Hermes and Johnson Mission Control.  Lewis is the chain of command, and in case she's incapacitated Martinez will be next in command.  There's nobody who can actually say anything.

 

As Mission Commander Lewis has probably qualified on everything that has to do with the spacecraft parts of the Ares mission.  From Andy Weir's post on what would happen if Lewis had stayed behind on Mars and the MAV had left without her, she's also qualified to pilot the MAV to Hermes orbital intercept, and she almost certainly has extensive EVA experience.  Beck isn't the EVA specialist because he's the best at EVA, he's the EVA specialist because that is an area of the mission that he can focus on while everybody else is busy with other parts of the planned mission (and the planned mission was shot to hell when Watney got stranded on Mars and the Ares III crew elected to return for him).

 

Beck in the book was the biggest blank slate among the Ares III crew, so I wasn't tremendously invested in him getting his time to shine.  He still manages to show more personality (kind of) in the movie.  On the other hand I really liked Lewis, and Jessica Chastain was pretty awesome in the role even though I saw Lewis as being maybe 10 years older, so I'm happy she got more to do.

 

(Actually, if we're going to nitpick, there's a reason why in the book Lewis had the crew give her their decisions on whether or not to execute the RIch Purnell maneuver in private rather then everybody giving their vote around a conference table, but the latter is significantly more filmable.  They could have done the scene with Lewis outlining the decision and sending Vogel, Beck and Johanssen off to make their choices, and then commenting to Martinez that they're absolutely going to choose "Yes", but what would be the point?)

[Haleth]

Saw this this afternoon and loved it. I can't help comparing it to Apollo 13 (except of course for the real vs fictional thing). Great movie, suspenseful, uplifting, and yes, funny. Very entertaining. Loved that the whole cast consisted of HITG actors. Damon did a wonderful job carrying most of the movie.

[nomodrama]

I've never found Matt Damon to be attractive really, he just doesn't do it for me. But, wow did I find him to be super sexy here. It's probably because he made Watney so extremely charismatic. I could seriously watch his crazy Mars antics for several more sols. 

 

One thing I was left questioning that I must have just missed...I know that he was growing potatoes until the malfunction occured that ruined his crops, but what did he do for water? Had he figured something out for that too? Or was he just rationing what he originally had. It seems like rationing food would be a lot easier than rationing water, especially to those low amounts he was consuming towards the end. 

 

I live relatively close to Pasadena and actually know a few people that work at JPL so it was cool seeing that in the move. The Hermes was really impressive....it even had an entire gym included. I can't imagine what the cost of building something like that would be. 

[Rick Kitchen]

You need to have a gym on long-distance voyages, because the muscles tend to deteriorate.

[Haleth]

One thing I was left questioning that I must have just missed...I know that he was growing potatoes until the malfunction occured that ruined his crops, but what did he do for water? Had he figured something out for that too? Or was he just rationing what he originally had. It seems like rationing food would be a lot easier than rationing water, especially to those low amounts he was consuming towards the end.

 

Yes, he did figure out how to make it drizzle on his crops, because <science, science..>  I didn't understand it but it worked for the movie.

[OakGoblinFly]

Saw this this afternoon and loved it. I can't help comparing it to Apollo 13 (except of course for the real vs fictional thing). Great movie, suspenseful, uplifting, and yes, funny. Very entertaining. Loved that the whole cast consisted of HITG actors. Damon did a wonderful job carrying most of the movie.

 

 

For the life of me, I cannot figure this one out.

[Athena]

For the life of me, I cannot figure this one out.

 

"Hey It's That Guy!" Actors you recognize but not necessarily know their names. Often character or supporting roles in movies and TV shows.

[OakGoblinFly]

"Hey It's That Guy!" Actors you recognize but not necessarily know their name of. Often character or supporting roles in movies and TV shows.

 

 

Ahhhh, got it.  I thought it was some television show that I never watched. :)

[jcin617]

Yes, he did figure out how to make it drizzle on his crops, because <science, science..>  I didn't understand it but it worked for the movie.

From what I followed he dripped hydrazine (which was being used as rocket fuel) over a catalyst (I missed what he used) to generate hydrogen, which he then burned - the byproduct of which is water vapor;  when it cooled, it condensed and rained on his crops.

Edited October 13, 2015 by jcin617

[OakGoblinFly]

From what I followed he dripped hydrazine (which was being used as rocket fuel) over a catalyst (I missed what he used) to generate hydrogen, which he then burned - the byproduct of which is water vapor;  when it cooled, it condensed and rained on his crops.

 

Correct.  It was also the reason why he 'blew himself up' (not accounting for all the escaping oxygen).

[Schweedie]

My verdict after I came out was "Good, but not great." I thought the ending was an improvement, since the book ended rather abruptly; I liked how they did it here.

Would've liked to see something about Mark's parents, more than the brief mention by Mark to Lewis, but other than that, most of the things they cut made sense. Although I also would've liked more of the science in how he created the soil he grew his potatoes.

 

Loved the rest of the crew. I'm always so happy to see Michael Peña in stuff!

 

Kristen Wiig as Annie Montrose was hit and miss. She gets some good bits, especially when she gets to be snarky or curse, but for large stretches she is just a Worried Teary Eyed Female to contrast with the senior dudes at NASA. .

 

I was really pleased about her being in this because I thought that was inspired casting, but... Well, they kind of wasted her, didn't they? She should've got to go much harder.

 

While I really enjoyed Matt Damon in the role, he wasn't how I pictured Mark when I read the book. I think I expected someone a little more "nerdy," taller and thinner, too.

 

Yeah. He was good, but I still feel he was a bit miscast - mostly I pictured him a bit younger and generally a bit goofier. He was still solid, though!

[Ohwell]

I saw this today, didn't know it was adapted from a book.  I enjoyed it for the most part even though it was rather long.  The only nitpicks I had were: 1) I don't understand why on earth they cast Kristen Wiig.  Plus, I kept waiting for her to bust into one of her silly SNL routines.  2) they didn't spend enough time on the genius guy played by Donald Glover.

[methodwriter85]

My verdict after I came out was "Good, but not great." I thought the ending was an improvement, since the book ended rather abruptly; I liked how they did it here.

Would've liked to see something about Mark's parents, more than the brief mention by Mark to Lewis, but other than that, most of the things they cut made sense. Although I also would've liked more of the science in how he created the soil he grew his potatoes.

 

Loved the rest of the crew. I'm always so happy to see Michael Peña in stuff!

 

 

I was really pleased about her being in this because I thought that was inspired casting, but... Well, they kind of wasted her, didn't they? She should've got to go much harder.

 

 

Yeah. He was good, but I still feel he was a bit miscast - mostly I pictured him a bit younger and generally a bit goofier. He was still solid, though!

 

Someone said that Sebastian Stan would have been good, but unfortunately, something this big made from a book that doesn't have all that much name recognition (It's not The Hunger Games or Fifty Shades of Grey) just isn't going to cast an unproven star.

Edited October 20, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Schweedie]

Someone said that Sebastian Stan would have been good, but unfortunately, something this big made from a book that doesn't have all that much name recognition (It's not The Hunger Games or Fifty Shades of Grey) just isn't going to cast an unproven star.

 

If this is referring to the casting of Mark, then yeah, that was me. *g* Unless someone else has said elsewhere, too. I wasn't hung up on him or anything during the movie, but I still felt Matt Damon, though good, wasn't quite right. If it had been ten or so years ago I probably would've liked him much better in the role - say, Ocean's Eleven era Matt Damon would have been pretty perfect.

(ETA - ...except apparently that's like 14 years ago. Woah.)

Edited October 20, 2015 by Schweedie

[Anela]

I want to see this. I read the book last year and loved it. 

[Mars7]

"The Martian"  'Bring him home.'    No, leave him (Matt Damon) there.   This movie may have been the most over-hyped movie of the year.  I thought "Mission to Mars" was a better movie even though the ending to the movie was terrible.   Ridley Scott is one of my favorite directors of all time but this one is not in the same category as "Alien" and "Prometheus" and never will be.    

[SNeaker]

"The Martian"  'Bring him home.'    No, leave him (Matt Damon) there.   This movie may have been the most over-hyped movie of the year.  I thought "Mission to Mars" was a better movie even though the ending to the movie was terrible.   Ridley Scott is one of my favorite directors of all time but this one is not in the same category as "Alien" and "Prometheus" and never will be.    

 

I don't think it's meant to be, though. It's meant to be more like "Castaway." In space. A survival story starring a giant nerd with a wry sense of humor. I think it's meant to be much more lighthearted and relatable.

 

As a lover of the book, I did not enjoy the movie as much (particularly some of the changes they made to the ending) but overall good adaptation. I probably would have liked it more had I not read the book, but that's how it goes. I was glad they didn't add some wife and kid for Mark as I'd feared. My friend and I, who already loved the "Council of Elrond" scene from the book, lost our shit when it hit us that Sean Bean was playing Mitch in that scene and started going on about how one doesn't merely...walk onto Mars. Heh.

[caracas1914]

Near the end of the movie, I was thinking " I can't believe they haven't played THAT disco song, c'mmon !" So let's just say the ending credits were nigh perfect. ; )

[Shannon L.]

I was pleasantly surprised that they chose disco instead of actual space-themed songs, although I was kind of hoping for "Rocket Man".

[BookWoman56]

I liked the movie overall, on about the same par with the book. I especially liked that they didn't invent a worried spouse/child for Watney and instead just left him as a single guy; also liked that there was no romantic subplot worth mentioning. I do have one minor nitpick, though, about the "Council of Elrond" bit. In both the book and the movie, the media liaison did not know what the council was and seemed to barely know, if at all, about The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I understand they were trying to make a point that she was not a geek, but really? Every single media spokesperson I have ever met makes sure to be aware of major movies, tv shows, commercials, etc., because they have to understand mainstream pop culture references and be able to use them on occasion. Given the popularity of the books and then the major media coverage when the movies came out, I found it hard to believe that this character would have no freaking idea what LoTR was.

Edited November 4, 2015 by BookWoman56

[methodwriter85]

I was pleasantly surprised that they chose disco instead of actual space-themed songs, although I was kind of hoping for "Rocket Man".

I was kind of hoping for "Major Tom", but that has been done.

[nobodyyoucare]

I liked the movie overall, on about the same par with the book. I especially liked that they didn't invent a worried spouse/child for Watney and instead just left him as a single guy; also liked that there was no romantic subplot worth mentioning. I do have one minor nitpick, though, about the "Council of Elrond" bit. In both the book and the movie, the media liaison did not know what the council was and seemed to barely know, if at all, about The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I understand they were trying to make a point that she was not a geek, but really? Every single media spokesperson I have ever met makes sure to be aware of major movies, tv shows, commercials, etc., because they have to understand mainstream pop culture references and be able to use them on occasion. Given the popularity of the books and then the major media coverage when the movies came out, I found it hard to believe that this character would have no freaking idea what LoTR was.

I encounter plenty of people who have no clue what the council of elrond is and they are in the media and other professions. 

[TVSpectator]

I saw this movie not to long ago and I like it. Personally I liked that the main character didn't panic and that we got to see him working through his problems throughout the movie. Another aspect that I liked was the humor and also him narrating his plans out to the camera (well it's was really Watney talking to a camera, but for us it was him telling us what he was going to do). I also enjoyed seeing that the people back on Earth were willing to save him and not try to cover up the mistake of him being left on Mars- alive  which, IMO, made this movie realistic in that yes, NASA would've probably announced that they have left someone behind in space. 

 

Also, it was nice seeing that his teammates were willing to extend their mission, just to save him from Mars and seeing how some in NASA were a bit upset that the title, Council of Elrond was chosen was funny and also a real good nerd service. 

[Emily Thrace]

We considered this worthy of a trip to the movie theater and we were not disappointed. Good effects and enjoyable science/tech geeky goodness. 

The problems did not seem contrived and watching Damon work out solutions was entertaining.  ...Tho it might have been more realistic if Damon's character wasn't a genius in every area -- maybe there could have been a few chinks in his armor..

..

Also - was there some reason Damon's character was missing a personal life? I appreciated not having him pine over some photograph of a woman during the whole film -- but the total lack of any romantic interests seemed a bit odd. 

(But seeing the one Mars crew member going back on the next mission made me feel bad for his kid... Guess someone else will be there for his formative years..)

 

Well he did nearly blow himself up the first time he tried to make water. That was truly hilarious so I'm kinda surprised you missed that one.

 

Yeah I did find it odd that we never actually saw his parents onscreen. Even Kristen Wigg leading them to conference room at NASA or something would have been appreciated.

 

I do feel like the movie could have packed a harder emotional punch. We really didn't spend much time with the Hermes crew so his reunion with them was great but it could have been so much more if we had been given a better picture of how important finding Mark was to all of them. A better idea of the crew as people and how they each related to Mark would have been great. Instead of just the relief that Mark made it. We also never got to see Mark meet the people like Vincent and Mindy who worked so hard to bring him home. That all feels like a missed opportunity. I think TPTB were probably worried about coming across  manipulative or even maudlin but really they just got their asses saved by Matt Damon. Had this movie been in the hands of a lesser actor it might have come across as soulless.

 

I also like that they avoided a romantic relationship between Lewis and Mark. Not just because then it would have been Red Planet (Right down to the EVA rescue) with more science. Women are too often made the emotional center of the story I like that TPTB made Lewis a strong character who is emotional but still clear headed and calm. If TPTB had gone with a romantic subplot for Mark I would rather have seen it with Mindy Park since she was his primary human contact so much of the time. Plus that way it could have all happened off screen and just been wrapped up in the epilogue.

 

Martinez going back was a little surprising because of his family but judging by the size of Vogel's kids and the fact that Beck and Beth had their own kid he was home for a few years between missions. Also the missions are only supposed to be about two- three years long so its not that much more extreme than military parents who have done multiple tours in Afghanistan or Viet Nam (and they wouldn't been home for as long between tours).  I was bugged by them making the only POC crew member basically an absentee dad though. I get that he probably see it as his duty but it still feels glaring especially in a movie that was so diverse and respectful in how they treated the female characters.. Its kinda like they made the Hail Mary Pass zig-zagged around the opposing defense and then tripped over the goal line.

 

That's not to say it was a bad movie. It was an amazing movie by any stretch. Matt Damon is sure to get an Oscar nod if not a win for the role. I just think I'll be particularly interested in Ridley Scott's directors cut.

[yourstruly]

 

I also like that they avoided a romantic relationship between Lewis and Mark.

Not to be pedantic, but it's probably not in the movie because it's not in the book. And Lewis was married. They were really faithful to the events and the tone of the book, which I appreciated. Same with cutting back to his family-in the book he mentions them but doesn't dwell on them (at least as much as I can recall). There is a part where Beth talks to her family and a pretty gruesome survival strategy is alluded to and I was surprised that they cut that out. The book is very technical and procedural about surviving moment to moment in that environment. When I finished it and found out that Weir was a computer programmer, I thought "yeah that sounds about right". It's not an emotional novel at all-I actually liked it more because of that.

[Schweedie]

There is a part where Beth talks to her family and a pretty gruesome survival strategy is alluded to and I was surprised that they cut that out.

 

I think I read somewhere that the director's cut could be something like 20 minutes longer - if that's true I'd be surprised if that bit doesn't make it in there. I hope it does, if only for the

"Come on, I thought you liked Mexican!"

bit.

[Emily Thrace]

Not to be pedantic, but it's probably not in the movie because it's not in the book. And Lewis was married. They were really faithful to the events and the tone of the book, which I appreciated. Same with cutting back to his family-in the book he mentions them but doesn't dwell on them (at least as much as I can recall). There is a part where Beth talks to her family and a pretty gruesome survival strategy is alluded to and I was surprised that they cut that out. The book is very technical and procedural about surviving moment to moment in that environment. When I finished it and found out that Weir was a computer programmer, I thought "yeah that sounds about right". It's not an emotional novel at all-I actually liked it more because of that.

 

It wouldn't be the first time a book was altered though when it was made in to a movie though. Traditionally adding a love interest for Wattney would be something the studio would feel would "bring in a female audience".   (Like how Hunger Games added a love triangle to mimic twilight) Which is probably a reflection of how little studio types understand women as much as anything. I would like to think the fact that they didn't change the story means things are getting better but I'm optimistic like that.

 

I can see the whole survival strategy being cut because its a lot darker than anything in the movie. Cannaballism is something studios avoid outside of horror in any case. I also wonder if NASA would actually resort to that even in an extreme situation. Its seems unlikely that even if someone survived it physically that they would ever recover mentally. I would actually think decoupling part of the ship (it was assembled in pieces it would probably come apart that way too) and floating back to earth while still in range seems more plausible IMO. The ISS was actually built with a life raft situation in mind (or it was the last time I checked which was at least 10 years ago) I would think the Hermes would be too. That whole story is one aspect of the book that seems far fetched to me. That plan only really works if the survivor is a robot not a real person. Although Mark's psychology is pretty optimistic as well all things considered.

 

I would rather see "and Beck can sleep with Johansen" personally. Not just because that whole romantic subplot could have used some development but because it would mean seeing Lewis and the others interacting. Everyone's reaction would be worth seeing IMO. It would be a nice addition to the scene at the beginning where the crew is interacting and give them a little more life. Particularly Beck who has more personality in the viral promo's then he gets in the movie itself unfortunately. "I thought you liked Mexican" doesn't really show anything we don't already know about the characters.

[Rick Kitchen]

They actually miscast Johansen, if you're going by what's in the book.  She's described as devastatingly beautiful.

[Mars477]

They actually miscast Johansen, if you're going by what's in the book. She's described as devastatingly beautiful.

Do you mean Montrose? Johannsen is a hot geek girl, and Kate Mara fits that to a tee. She's the "hot girl" of the crew in the book because Commander Lewis is supposed to be 10 years or so older and not look like Jessica Chastain. Annie Montrose is the stunningly gorgeous media personality (who is also an incredibly foul mouthed snarker) which didn't really come out in the movie. Edited November 24, 2015 by Mars477

[Rick Kitchen]

I don't see Kate Mara as hot at all.

 

No, I meant Johansen.

[Danny Franks]

I don't see Kate Mara as hot at all.

 

I do. I think she's very attractive. She wouldn't be getting the roles she gets if a lot of other people didn't think so too. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, of course, but if the book describes Johansen as "devastatingly beautiful" I don't think that would disqualify Kate Mara from playing the role.

[methodwriter85]

Kate Mara reminds me of Sabrina Lloyd from Sliders so I've always liked her. She's more girl-next-door pretty though.

[Bruinsfan]

Yeah, I certainly can't criticize her looks, but when I hear "devastatingly beautiful" I think of women like Audrey Hepburn or Iman.

[Danny Franks]

Yeah, I certainly can't criticize her looks, but when I hear "devastatingly beautiful" I think of women like Audrey Hepburn or Iman.

 

Again, that comes back to beauty being in the eye of the beholder, because I wouldn't consider either of them to be "devastatingly beautiful". Not that I would say Kata Mara is either, but just that she is certainly not homely enough to be categorically ruled unsuitable for a part that has that description.

[Athena]

As an aside, this discussion reminds me of what Allison Jones, a noted casting director of American comedies from "The Office" to Appatow movies, said in a New Yorker interview:

 

 

“I was thrilled to do ‘Bridesmaids’—it was a true ensemble of odd characters, all of whom I had observed in real life. There wasn’t one scene that called for a push-up bra. Most female descriptions in screenplays and TV scripts—and I am not kidding—are basically ‘astonishingly beautiful, even without makeup,’ and ‘brilliant.’ Never just beautiful, always astonishingly so.”

 

Everyone in Hollywood has to be uber beautiful. They don't cast otherwise apparently.

[ClareWalks]

Kate Mara's character was described as "hot" in the novel, which Kate Mara certainly is, especially for a scientist (typically more of a "bookish" type than a "hot" type). In the novel, Johansson's poster outsold all the others. She was not described as "devastatingly beautiful," and either way there are plenty of people who would describe Kate Mara that way, just like there are plenty of people who would describe Audrey Hepburn or Iman as "meh."

[ClareWalks]

Last night I got through the part of the book where they call Annie (Kristin Wiig's character) beautiful. She is not called "devastatingly beautiful," but just beautiful, and it's part of a list of qualities Annie has of which Mindy Park is envious.

[Mars477]

Yeah, I certainly can't criticize her looks, but when I hear "devastatingly beautiful" I think of women like Audrey Hepburn or Iman.

Johanssen is described as "that hot chick who went to Mars", not "devastatingly beautiful".

[thuganomics85]

Congratulations to The Martian for dominating in it's category at the Golden Globes.  Which was the Comedy category.  I found that very amusing.  I love the film and it did make me laugh out loud a lot of times, but I just find it so weird referring to it as a comedy.  Still, good for it.

 

Finally read and finished the book, and I really want to see the film again to compare it.  There were some differences I noticed, but I still felt, to bust out a cliched phrase, the film captured the "spirit" of it.  Overall, I found both the book and the film to be highly entertaining.

[Milburn Stone]

I like disco.

[raven]

On 11/9/2015 at 11:09 PM, Emily Thrace said:

I get that he probably see it as his duty but it still feels glaring especially in a movie that was so diverse and respectful in how they treated the female characters.

I actually liked this bit because of Lewis's comment that they could both be court-martialed, so it was a nice confirmation that he wasn't and that he got to continue his career.  I also think it was a good few years after this incident, Mark is looking gray before he goes in to teach his class, so Martinez was probably grounded for a while.

This movie was (surprisingly for me, I wasn't sure what to expect) excellent.  All I knew was the he survived and grew food in his own waste, so all the other details were fun and I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of it.  There wasn't a weak link in the cast and it was great to see everyone being fully competent, intelligent and usually calm, unlike in Prometheus for example, where experienced astronauts and scientists make idiotic mistakes.   I wasn't surprised at Mark being pretty good at most things, he was shown being down a couple of times and his fearful tears before his final lift off were on point.  Once he was communicating with NASA he was getting help, especially needed once the rescue plan was in place.  One thing that stuck out for me, when I think of him driving the Rover for a few hours, then stopping to charge the solar panels for 13 hours all those days; well you have to be pretty tenacious and even tempered to accomplish that.

I really enjoyed all the decision making and problem solving at NASA and I think the balance between those scenes and Mark alone was pretty well struck. 

Some of the best lines for me:

"Teddy, I'm the director of NASA".   "if this is the council of Elrond, I want to be Glorfindel"

"The greatest minds on earth tell me to drill holes into the roof of my Rover and bang on it with a rock"

"You want to send him into space under a tarp"  Chiwetel Ejiofor was especially good at the funny bits as well as the drama.  "Are you kidding me..it could be the first one"

"They want to send me into space in a convertible"  "Faster than any man in the history of space travel.  I do like the way that sounds...I like it a a lot.  OK let's do this".   Great performance by Matt Damon.

Very re-watchable movie.  Looking forward to reading the book.

Edited June 8, 2016 by raven

[proserpina65]

On ‎01‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 11:35 PM, Milburn Stone said:

I like disco.

I love ABBA.  Although I don't actual considered most of their stuff to be disco, certainly not Waterloo.  But still, I loved the running conceit.

[Traveller519]

While on vacation I read the book and then got to re-watch the movie during one of my flights.

Despite some minor differences I found the movie incredibly faithful. As both Andy Weir and Neal Degrasse Tyson put it, "the science drives the plot, not the drama." And I'm very glad that they didn't try to play up additional emotional beats in the movie. The emotion comes from the various teams celebrating at the end because of everything they've done. Mark's parents get a very brief mention in the book, and I don't think anything more would have been helpful to the spirit of the story. There was nothing they could do. They would just be targets for sympathy.

I would love to see a director's cut, R-rated version. Annie and Mark being more vulgar would be in tune with the book.

[VCRTracking]

Quote

I love ABBA.  Although I don't actual considered most of their stuff to be disco, certainly not Waterloo.  But still, I loved the running conceit.

The Voulez-Vous album is really disco.(Yeah I'm going to admit to knowing that).

I was like "Noooooooooooooooo!" when there was a breach and the potato crops were all ruined.

Speaking of I like potatoes but I don't know if I could eat them for more than a hundred days.

Love that Donald Glover tripping was an accident during the take that they just used.

[Sharpie66]

I just got the extended edition DVD and watched it last night, then listened to the commentary. Ridley Scott likes to just describe what's happening on screen (my least favorite commentary), but Drew Goddard and Andy Weir team up and give much better commentary, so it's worth listening to for them. Watney's line "I ran out of ketchup seven days ago" was an ad-lib from Damon!

Last week, I saw an article with a clip from the added footage of Lewis busting Beck and Johannsen's relationship (straight out of the book), but in watching the extended version on the dvd, I didn't see it. Has anyone else seen the extended edition and can tell me where it is in the film? Thanks!

When I get home tonight, I'll be watching the bonus features.

[proserpina65]

On ‎06‎/‎09‎/‎2016 at 6:12 PM, VCRTracking said:

The Voulez-Vous album is really disco.(Yeah I'm going to admit to knowing that).

I was like "Noooooooooooooooo!" when there was a breach and the potato crops were all ruined.

Speaking of I like potatoes but I don't know if I could eat them for more than a hundred days.

Love that Donald Glover tripping was an accident during the take that they just used.

Oh, definitely on Voulez-Vous.  Even back when I hated disco, I still loved that album.

And I am a potato-holic, but yeah, every day for a hundred days is one hell of a lot of potatoes.  Of course, if it's that or starve, I guess anyone could do it but I'm glad I don't have to.

[Kel Varnsen]

I'm super behind the times but I watched this last night. It was really good. Such a great cast. I was thinking I would watch it over two nights if I got tired. But I ended up watching the whole thing.

The only thing I didn't buy was how interested the general public was in getting Mark home. It was hard to keep track of the timeline since they kept switching back between earth time and Martian Sols. But it was something like 2-3 years between the Hermes leaving Mars and making it back. I am not sure that people would be so involved at the end to the point where all those people were gathered in public squares around the world.

[Danny Franks]

On 4/14/2021 at 3:01 PM, Kel Varnsen said:

I'm super behind the times but I watched this last night. It was really good. Such a great cast. I was thinking I would watch it over two nights if I got tired. But I ended up watching the whole thing.

The only thing I didn't buy was how interested the general public was in getting Mark home. It was hard to keep track of the timeline since they kept switching back between earth time and Martian Sols. But it was something like 2-3 years between the Hermes leaving Mars and making it back. I am not sure that people would be so involved at the end to the point where all those people were gathered in public squares around the world.

I feel like it's something that would become the new normal, after a while. "Oh hey, what's going on with that astronaut on Mars? Is he still okay?" but then the actual event of him being rescued would have sparked intense interest again. Perhaps not 'mass gatherings in public spaces' intense, but certainly headline news and feverish social media chatter.

The movie has such a strong cast, from top to bottom. Mackenzie Davis is a stand out, for me, as the compassionate observer, watching over Mark from afar. Every time I watch the movie, I find myself wishing we got just a little scene of Mindy and Mark saying hello to each other in person.