The Martian: It's good to have you back, Sir

I'm going to get this out of the way right now. It's good, go see it, pay the extra for the 3d session. Now that I've said that, here's where I go all film critic.

Ridley Scott is one of the great artists of our time. The man embodies everything that makes a great artist. He is able to find, capture, and express beauty in almost anything, his imagination seems to be limitless, and he has skill in his medium that allows him to transmit that imagination seamlessly. He has also been rather controversial in the last decade for making some pretty sub par films. The typical pattern for a while was that a Scott film would hit the cinemas, be critically panned, and then be completely rescued by a dramatically improved director's cut. This hinted at some pretty bad studio interference, which seemed odd considering Scott's status. Things declined further with Robin Hood, a re imagining of the classic, and Prometheus, Scott's return to the vaunted Alien franchise, which he helped to establish. Both films were quite poorly received, and seemed to be beyond saving, even in their post-cinema director's cut releases. Again, it was hard to say if Scott was losing his touch, or if it was all interference from film studios. Rumours brewed that Scott was being constantly forced to work with hack screen writers, or "modernize" his work by being saddled with modern film making tropes. While the films got worse, one thing that never changed was the beauty. Scott still managed to capture flawless images through his camera, and make scenes dance across the screen, stirring the imagination of anybody still alive from the hair down.

The Martian proves exactly one thing as a film: that Ridley Scott has still got it. The Martian is an adaptation of Andy Weir's novel by the same name. The book detailed the stranding of astronaut, Mark Watney, and his stubborn grasp on life, as he learns to survive alone on Mars after his mission team is forced to abandon him. If you ever want to see this movie, I am telling you right now to go and see it in the cinema. There are experiences that will move you in an indescribable way, and a Ridley Scott film, viewed on the big screen, with full cinema sound, any yes, those bloody 3d glasses, can never be matched. The Martian is an excellent pic to watch on your little laptop, obtained legally, five minutes before the film actually releases (or so I imagine), but as an experience, the film must be viewed in its native habitat. The martian landscape, and the majesty of space has not been captured in such glory before. "NASA movies", like the recent Gravity, the modern but dated Apollo 13, or the classic 2001 A Space Odyssey, each gave the viewer an experience that showcased the state-of-the-art cinematic technology of their era, and each told a story through mostly visual means. Scott is perhaps the greatest living example of a visual cinematic artist, and to watch this film in anything less than its native cinema screen would probably do it an injustice.

The film also stands up as a simple story. It tackles high-concept science fiction, giving us a realistic picture of the problems and moral dilemmas that the human race will be forced to deal with when and if it finally takes to the stars. The characters are funny, lovable, and even the supporting cast feels well rounded and real. Matt Damon, who plays Mark Watney, deserves a great deal of praise for his performance here. If effect, the character is a cast away, left to survive alone on a desert island. Only, in this case the island is years away from civilization, and there is no water, and no life of any description to help sustain him. The story then becomes about Watney's ingenious efforts to make life grow in order to sustain him, and his struggle to stay sane and not surrender to the omnipresent chance of death. Watney stubbornly clings to life, much like the plantlife that he manages to foster on Mars, and in spite of setback after setback, he finds a way to not only sustain himself, but evolve as both a character, and a human being to become the first martian.

Ridley Scott's first film, The Duelist ends with one of the single most beautiful cinematic frames ever captured. It says everything that needed to be said about the film in a single mournful, yet triumphant pan of the horizon. The Martian has no less of Scott's talent and limitless imagination sown into every scene. While his career might have waxed and waned, Scott remains an artist. If you leave the cinema not having felt something move in your chest, I suggest that you seek a cardiologist immediately.