Ridley Scott’s, “The Martian,” has everything you would want in a movie: suspense, drama, humor, and botany. The movie has a slow start, even though you are thrown right into the Ares III aborting its mission on Mars during a dangerous storm and leaving fellow astronaut Mark Watney for dead. The movie’s pace quickly picks up after that exciting scene, documenting Watney’s struggle to survive on a planet where nothing grows. Not having read the book by Andy Weir, I thought I’d feel lost while watching, but the story was easy to follow. The A-list ensemble, led by Matt Damon and Chiwetel Ejiofor, carried the movie throughout its entirety. During the whole film, Watney and the crews involved in the rescue mission face trial after trial before succeeding. The documentary style of the movie greatly enhanced the emotional impact and viewing the movie in IMAX 3D added to the experience. If you like a sense of realism in your movie, “The Martian” is for you.
