In the process, Mark Watney (Damon) is hit by part of the ship and disappears into the debris.
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There are no space aliens in “The Martian”, no little green men or attractive blue women. “Actually, astronauts are a few of the most fit people”, Damon said. Everyone makes it back except for Damon, reports USA Today, who gets separated in the storm. They vacuum-pack it and then examine it later to see the effects the journey is having on their bodies. And they both replied, “Nah, I live for it”. “So it’s really The Best of the Best”.
Damon really lights up the screen in this role, giving it a wry twist that makes Watney so likeable and memorable.
The Martian is more Sci than Fi. The camaraderie they share is especially powerful and in no way feels forced or insincere.
It went on to become a bestseller, eventually picked up by Random House to critical acclaim. Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s 2011 novel is less concerned with the interplanetary scenery than it is with human ingenuity. Damon signed on primarily because he wanted to work with the famous filmmaker who proved to be strict but open-minded.
Arguably the most popular movie set on Mars stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Douglas Quaid, whose life begins to unravel when he goes on a virtual vacation to the red planet, and loses the sense of what is real and what is not. “So you’re not spinning your wheels and wasting time”. Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, who previously worked with Scott on Exodus: Gods and Kings and The Counselor, adds his magical touch. He’s not done with space yet, as his next film, scheduled for 2017, is another sequel, “Prometheus 2”.
Damon is surrounded by a strong cast, which includes Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kristen Wiig, Donald Glover and Jeff Daniels. His ability to get into any kind of character and give it his own style is what works for this movie.
The production shot its Mars scenes in the attractive, isolated Valley of the Moon (Wadi Rum) in Jordan, the flawless stand-in for the red planet.
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“The basic structure of the Mars program in the book is very similar to a plan called Mars Direct, though I made changes here and there”, he said, in a Q&A on the Penguin Random House website. “There’s nothing like it on Earth“. Watney and his potatoes will move you. Sure, we’re not sending manned missions to Mars, yet, but the logic and details that dictate Mark’s story from start-to-finish feel grounded in reality, and that polished vermeer coupled with an out-of-this-world talented cast and a director who knows how to please and thrill a crowd is a formula for a rousing blockbuster that kicks off the fall movie season in high style. It’s a survival story. Weir’s novel is primarily narrated via Mark’s logs with occasional flashes over to the action back on Earth. The Martian also does a shockingly good job of “show me, don’t tell me“, which is so unbelievably rare in all of cinema, let alone sci-fi.
