'Blu-ray or Bust' - THE MARTIAN

'Blu-ray or Bust'

THE MARTIAN (2015, PG-13, 144 minutes, SCOTT FREE PRODUCTIONS/20TH CENTURY FOX)

I would like to start off by saying that Ridley Scott is the man.

That sounds kinda weak...

Ridley Scott is THE MAN. That sounds better. See, Ridley knows a good story when he hears one, and with Andy Weir’s book “The Martian”, he knew he had a damn good yarn to spin. Wherein lies the famous director’s ability to not screw with the source material too much. He is a visual storyteller with a literary conscience, and it soars to new heights with his adaptation.

What seems like a simple tale of survival becomes so much more than that when you put lead acting responsibility on Matt Damon’s shoulders. He brings the character of Mark Watney to life so well that he is exactly what I envisioned when reading the book. His delivery, his comic timing, his inflections and reflective poses…it has been a while since I had such a tough time deciding which I liked better, the book or the film.

In this case, Ridley gives us the scientific details the book did with a little less aplomb. Author Weir is a self-proclaimed science geek and former software engineer, so you know the science behind every step of this story has got to be as accurate as possible. Whereas Weir could make you feel a teeny bit mentally inferior at times, Ridley reigns all that science in and gives it to you practically. He keeps to much of the same language, dialogue, and story points that Weir did, but he does it with Damon’s voice, and it changes things dramatically.

In these ways, the movie out-shines its literary origin. Ridley knows best what to trim, what to keep, and, in some instances, what to blatantly ignore. The mark of a true visual storyteller is to do just that: show you the story. Sometimes without dialogue, sometimes with such grand vistas that you totally believe the movie was filmed on another planet. His previous science fiction epics which took place on other-worldly venues (PROMETHEUS, ALIEN) would be right at home in the same universe as THE MARTIAN; the landscapes may be bleak and unforgivingly brutal, but they are beautiful just the same.

There are many moments in this story that register deeply—one is comedic (Rich Purnell, played by Donald Glover in a way that screams "HERO!" to every person that suffers from social anxiety), the other harkens back to that vicious elements idea (Watney looking out upon the planet he is the sole inhabitant of). The wonder that is Ridley, though, should also be pointed in the direction of screenwriter Drew Goddard (CABIN IN THE WOODS, “Daredevil”). What looks like a simple re-telling is so much more when you see how parts of Weir’s book were given significant nods despite their omission.

If you do not purchase this film on Blu-ray, there is something inherently wrong with your brain. Your surround sound demands it, and your eyes demand it. Ridley has always been a man that expects you to rely upon all of your senses when watching one of his films, and MARTIAN is no exception. The special features includes a rare gag reel, which is great not just because of the occasional laugh, but also because you get to see the director in his element, doing what he does best.

THE MARTIAN has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, and each category for which it is nominated is deserving. However…at some point, the Academy is going to have to start appreciating the greatest visual storyteller of our time.

You see, Ridley Scott was not nominated for Best Director. And when you think about how effective, efficient, and prolific of a storyteller he is, you wonder at the audacity of an institution that sometimes puts technical achievement aside in favor of a fan vote.

Smooth one, Academy. AGAIN.

Grade: A

Special Features: A

Blu-ray Necessary: Hell yes

--T.S. Kummelman