Hollywood’s recent obsession with astronauts and space travel has jumped across the pond to England with Ridley Scott’s newest film, “The Martian.” Scott, an accomplished British filmmaker known for “Bladerunner” (1982), “Black Hawk Down” (2001), and “Prometheus” (2012), follows in the wake of recent space epics “Gravity” (2013) and “Interstellar” (2014) to forge his own, lighter view of galactic travel. Based on Andy Weir’s 2014 novel, the film stars Matt Damon as a NASA astronaut (Mark Watney) stranded on Mars, forced to survive in its unlivable environment (ironically, just as real-life NASA finds evidence of surface water). Scott proposes a more exciting, funny view of space than “Gravity” or “Interstellar,” embracing space as a possibility for discovery rather than a post-apocalyptic human colony. Yet, Scott’s use of humor seems to oversimplify larger themes in “The Martian,” positing space as the next human playground without questioning the larger implications of this perspective.
Geeky, funny moments with Watney and his crew immediately give the movie a playful feel. Seeing the crew joking with each other as they collect samples on Mars makes Scott’s perspective clear: space doesn’t always need to be serious. In the world of environmental disaster and apocalypse movies, his vision is quite refreshing. We remember that space travel, at its core, should be exciting. But once Watney is left behind, reality sets in. Living on Mars is almost impossible. Here, humor sometimes becomes problematic. Watney (the crew’s botanist) must grow food on a planet without good soil or water, and we come to know Mark through his video logs. Damon plays the funny scientist well, dryly joking, “surprise” telling NASA he’s alive, or cursing his crewmates as he grows potatoes using their waste. The film proposes survival can be, and may need to be, comical. But as Watney’s situation becomes more serious, jokes undercut more sobering themes. In one NASA meeting, the scientists reference Lord of the Rings in a somewhat desperate attempt to include pop culture. Humor begins to conflict with drama, and sometimes makes emergency seem too casual. One young, over-caffeinated scientist is shown asleep with his research in a NASA office, as if NASA were a college dorm rather than a professional organization. In another scene, collaboration with the Chinese space program is referenced to as, “My Uncle Tommy in China.” The film keeps the mood light, but in some instances makes crisis feel too easy.
This humorous mood continues in the movie’s music, accentuating moments of hope but at times overdoing it. Initially, NASA doesn’t know Watney is alive, until he finally finds a way to transmit a visual from Mars. The moment of a NASA technician seeing Watney’s signal comes across nicely, but the score overdoes it, with its French horns feeling too much like a “triumph of the will.” The music reflects the movie’s fun attitude, but sometimes feels cheesy, particularly using “Love Train” and “I Will Survive” in the credits. The Martian plays with (maybe too lightly) the seriousness of space travel. The narrative pairs humor and suffering genuinely, but by the end it feels somewhat oversimplified, and too neatly resolved.
The film boasts incredible visuals and intriguing editing, creating a believable Mars environment. They even simulate Mars gravity (62 percent of that of Earth) with the use of slower motion and intricate sound design. Just watching Damon walk around or move ship parts becomes spellbinding. It’s a funny, familiar cast, including Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Michael Peña, and Kate Mara, but its stars can’t seem to save Scott’s story from feeling too clean. The Martian presents an intriguing case of global unity to rescue one man, refueling the excitement of space, yet feels over idealistic, missing an opportunity to question what a human relationship with space and space travel really means.
Catch Matt Damon in “The Martian” at Kimball’s at 1:45 p.m., 5 p.m., and 8 p.m. daily, as well at Tinseltown at various times. Because I refuse to see “Everest” (especially after seeing “Meru”), check back next week for Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway in “The Intern.”