The Martian : How the United States spent millions to save Matt Damon. Again.

I can’t help but wonder about how Matt Damon manages to get lost in such places. Seriously ? Mars ? Anyway, let’s get back to the movie. The story is about Mark Watney, a botanist, and his crew on a scientific expedition on Mars. The mission has to be aborted as a sandstorm approaches, threatening to destroy the ship which is their only way to get back to Earth. And as you’ve already guessed, this anticipated retreat doesn’t go so well, and Watney is left dead on the Red Planet. But well, he’s still alive.

“Surprise !”

Now he has to survive in this deadly (yet majestic) land, alone, with only 400 days of food, whereas the next mission is scheduled to land on Mars 4 years after, kilometers away from his temporary shelter. The plot may seem simple and dull. “Are we going to watch a man grow potatoes on Mars for 2 hours and half ?” Absolutely not! , there is much more to it.

First of all, Watney is funny. Even if he’s struggling every minute to save his life, he still finds the time to complain about the awful mixtape of his mates. Every step he takes, every move he makes, is totally captivating, and we cannot but get emotionally invested. It’s so good to see him “science he sh– out of this planet” as he says. It’s hard to see him fail. We live through Watney, almost like we were on Mars with him.

Then, this movie is an ode to science. And it is realistic. You may have also seen Interstellar ; I did and I liked it. However, everyone must agree if I say that Interstellar’s representation of space travels and stuff is completely far-fetched. On the contrary, every piece of science from The Martian is understandable ; everything is explained ; everything seems logic, probably because NASA is the source of 50 pages of the script. So don’t be afraid if you’re not a “nerd”, the movie is made to be enjoyed by everyone.

“Ok great, but seeing the same landscapes and panoramas … I mean it’s only dust, mountains and NASA’s stuff”. Well you do not see a lot of Mars landscapes, and the few which are present in the movie serve a purpose and are beautiful and even stunning at some points. Special mention to the sandstorm in first scenes which is absolutely impressive in 3D. The design of the suits, ships and the shelter also comes from NASA, but with a few adjustments to make them more stylish.

Peaceful moments feels like a breath of fresh air, even though there is nothing to breathe.

No need to explain why it has definitely become part of my top 5 movies, if not the top and I tend to get bored quickly. If you have not seen it yet, please rush to the closest theater, sit down and enjoy your movie. It’s one of the best space movies ever made, mixing science, humor, emotion, and DIY (Do it yourself) stuff.