FILMS… The Martian (2015)

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Matt Damon is in space again…

 

An astronaut, Mark Watney is left for dead on Mars. But he’s alive.

 

Matt Damon

Damon alone

“The Martian” official trailer HD, c/o 20th Century Fox UK  and photos © 20th Century Fox

 

Under discussion today is the latest “Matt Damon in Space” film known as The Martian (2015). After more recent films such as Interstellar (2014) and Elysium (2013), Damon is in space once again. Directed by Ridley Scott, this sci-fi film also stars Matthew McConaughey’s (grown-up) daughter from Interstellar, Jessica Chastain alongside Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig and Sean Bean.

More recently, Sean Bean has had a current habit of turning up in Hollywood blockbusters such as the Lord of the Rings‘ first film Fellowship of the Ring, (2001), Jupiter Ascending (2015) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014). So it is quite reassuring to hear his gruff Yorkshire accent helping the Americans in their hour of need once again.

Anyway I digress, Matt Damon stars as Mark Watney. Watney is an astronaut on a six-manned exploration trip to Mars. He is left behind after a storm by his thoughtless colleagues, and this is after his presumed death.

So Damon is in space again. Alone again. Needing to be rescued again.  At this rate, Matt Damon’s rescue films could be easily made into a series of The Perils of Penelope Pitstop cartoons. Darlin Husband pointed out this is the third film – that we know of being non-die hard Matt Damon fans –  that Damon has needed to be rescued by the Americans.

Initially, he was saved by Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan (1998), and then more ironically in Interstellar where he was rescued by Matthew McConaughey. But you could also count on him being rescued by his zoo which he rescued right back…

This was in We Bought a Zoo (2011) – where he is later saved (again) by a colleague, with The Avengers‘  Black Widow – masquerading as a girl next door, but still looking very much like Scarlett Johansson – which makes four movies. Damon should be incarcerated and left in a locked room for his own and others’ safety. He really is a liability.

Luckily for us, Watney then demonstrates his handy skills in botany and mathematics to work out how to stay alive and send a message back home to get rescued. This leads to much nail-biting tension back home on Earth with lots of science stuff for the geeks most of which was mansplained by my Darlin Husband. This is until the inevitable conclusion.

The film progresses with lots of drama, some humour and – as a treat for all those who were dragged along by their sci-fi obsessed partner / mother / buddy – seeing Damon’s CGI naked tor. And in a bonus fact, Damon was reportedly told in no uncertain terms by the director not to lose the weight.

It’s great when you get a wee treat, in an obvious “one for the scientists” film. Usually, for me, it includes Jason Statham’s upper torso – see (nearly) every Statham film ever made – or in a one-off, Kevin Bacon’s thankfully infra-red body in Hollow Man (2000) (if you like that sort of thing). But I digress… (yet again).

There is also a really good in-joke, that obscurely refers to Lord of the Rings which is worth looking out for. Also, the irony of the casting of the actor who would play Damon’s potential rescue partner – and thankfully not a cameo by Ben Affleck – for those of you who have seen Interstellar. It does, however, lead to the burning question, just why do people want to leave Matt Damon, a shining star in space?

 

Weeper Rating:  :-( :-( :-( /10

Handsqueeze Rating:  :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) /10

Hulk Rating: 0/10