Movie Review - The Martian

The Martian

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mackenzie Davis, Donald Glover, and more.

Directed by: Ridley Scott Screenplay by: Drew Goddard Based on the Novel by: Andy Weir  Cinematography by: Dariusz Wolski Music by: Harry Gregson-Williams

Premise: When the Ares III Mission on Mars is aborted due to a massive storm, Mark Watney is left for dead after being hit and swept away by a large antenna. Alone and stranded on the red planet, Mark tries to find ways to survive on what little he has left, knowing help is at least four years away. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Matt Damon does an awesome job as the stranded, humorous and somewhat egotistical, Mark Watney. Strong performances from Jeff Daniels and Jessica Chastain. I also loved the little subtle bits of acting by Kate Mara. Donald Glover was a lovely treat as Rich Purnell.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: From the burning wood chips to the amazing landscape of Mars, the special effects department did a fantastic job. The more we saw of the planet, the more awesome the work got. Make sure to pay attention to the skies too! Lots of little touches to proclaim we are not on Earth.

They also got to have some fun with disasters - from minor to large! And the first storm was just too darn cool! So much to love from the special effects teams! If you don't wince or cringe as Mark fixes himself after coming conscious on Mars... alone... you're not human. Heh heh.

And wait until you see the super cool dust devils and other neat weather phenomena. The views from space are awesome.

Not as visually stunning as Prometheus, but with a much better plot, so the tradeoff is so worth it. :P And the 3D adds a lot to the film.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: I've not read the novel the movie is based on yet, though my Mom and Richard totally adored it. Looking forward to that!

Movie wise, most of the plot is pretty straight forward and the ending no surprise. While much of the film is just Matt Damon alone, his little quips and jokes make watching him a lot of fun. The science is pretty solid, too, and they explain things so even laymen can understand but done in such a way they're not talking down to the audience. There's also enough politics and maneuverings back on Earth to add some nice tension.

The most fun though is seeing how inventive Mark and those back on Earth get in trying to solve all the different problems they keep running into. Some true ingenuity happens here.

Also impressive (and disturbing) were the visual hints of the effects on Mark's body from having to rough it on rationed food and his having to wear a spacesuit for weeks/months on end.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Several lovely stunts, mostly at Mark's expense. Some real nice smooth maneuvering by Kate Mata on the Hermes. She made moving around in zero G seem like a ballet.

5) Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: This film is definitely worth seeing on the big screen and in 3D. The awesome cinematography of Earth, space, and Mars is so totally worth it. Beautiful sweeping views of Mars from any number of angles. Some agle play was done as well with the closer views of the characters - wall mounted cams or those in the suits and vehicles made for some interesting perspectives, but not done so much or so long it becomes bothersome rather than neat.

Conclusion: "The Martian" is a gorgeous film with solid science and a ton of ingenuity. Definitely worth seeing in 3D.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)

Movie Review - Elysium

Elysium

Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura, William Fichtner, Brandon Auret, Josh Blacker, Emma Tremblay, and more.

Directed by: Neill Blomkamp Written by: Neill Blomkamp Cinematography by: Trent Opaloch Original Music by: Ryan Amon

Premise: Living on a polluted and overpopulated Earth, Max always dreamed of going to Elysium. But when he takes a fatal dose of radiation during a work accident, finding a way to get to Elysium is the only way he might be able to save himself from an ugly, agonizing death. (Rated R)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Matt Damon did a great job as the disillusioned and dying anti-hero, Max. Jodie Foster's portrayal of Delacourt, the head of keeping Elysium secure, was chilling. Sharlto Copley was beautifully manic. It was a total treat to watch the cast interacting.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects team did some truly detailed work on the film. Elysium itself was definitely a work of art. There were also plenty of fun gadgets and robots to drool over. The healing beds were cool. And I totally fell in love with John Carlyle's personal transport.

The Cherry Blossom trees in the heart of Elysium with their petals blowing in the breeze were gorgeous. But aside from the symbolism they were meant to evoke, the placement seemed incredibly odd, since it was deep inside the station and not one of the 'people' areas.

Kruger's reconstruction scene was as awesome as it was unnerving.

3) Plot/Story - Neutral: On the story arc itself there was much to like. The fact Max was an anti-hero, and staunchly remained so for most of the film, was an usual direction and made the film more realistic and the ending more poignant as a result. There's also a silent moment where Delacourt truly realizes what is about to come to pass and her role in it all - how she was the one to bring her worst nightmare to life - and accepts responsibility in the only way left open to her.

Sadly, however, though the story itself worked very well, some of the science and world building around it, did not. While exoskeletons will give the wearer more strength and the ability to hold up more - Max's suit was missing a couple of vital pieces to allow him to do much of what he does. He uses his hand to bend a car's metal doorframe - but since he is using his bare hand, and not one in a hydraulic glove, his fingers would not have been able to exert the necessary pressure on the metal on their own. His feet have the same issue with regard to his kicks. While the exoskeleton would give him the power to exert that much force, his feet are not protected, so he would have broken one the first time he tried it.

The medical beds, while totally cool, could be found in every household in Elysium. This implied the technology was easy to mass produce. No reason was ever given as to why they could only be used in Elysium. (Like huge energy costs, or the need for super rare materials - though that would still be hard to believe as prevalent as the units seemed to be.) Since it was likely an Armadyne product, it made even less sense they wouldn't use it at their factories on Earth. Those in power might believe life was cheap, but educated/trained workers are hard to come by. Training a replacement would cost them more than just healing the injured party and putting them back to work. It would have also done wonders in cutting back the resentment from those stuck on Earth, able to only watch as Elysium drifted overhead with medical wonders that could have been used to heal their loved ones.

4) Stunts - Thumbs Up: Some good fights and stunts were sprinkled through the film. Most looked great as well, except when they descended to using the shaky cam. My husband took points off major points for that. Luckily, aside from one battle, they were sparing with the technique.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Filmed at several locations, including Mexico City and Bear Creek Park in Surrey British Columbia, they found the perfect spots for conveying the subpar Earth living and the idyllic existence in Elysium. (This is also a sad thing, as people really do live in such impoverished places.) The spanning shots of the city, but more so the ones of Elysium, were stunning.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The makeup department did a spectacular job. Especially with Kruger's face and Max's head. For Kruger it was the ports and bits of tech he'd had embedded into his skin and seemed a part of him. Max's were obviously more of a 'hatchet job', which gave a nice subliminal contrast between the two men.

Conclusion: Great characters, good action scenes (except those spoiled by shaky cam), and cool visuals made "Elysium" quite entertaining. The bad science, bad world building, and shaky cam dragged it back from being a great film.

Rating: 3.75 out 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better for Matinee)

Movie Review - The Adjustment Bureau

(Trying a multi site poster experiment. So let's see how this does...)

The Adjustment Bureau

Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Terrence Stamp, Michael Kelly, and more...

Directed by: George Nolfi  Screenplay by: George Nolfi Based on the Short Story: "Adjustment Team" by Philip K Dick
(And though not credited at IMDB, Eric Kripke Creator of Supernatural is associated with it as well. Shocked me!)

Premise: David Norris, and up and coming politician in New York, becomes aware of the supernatural presence of the Adjustment Bureau. Not only that, they pointedly tell him that he is to cease and desist trying to find the woman he met by chance who he direly wants to see again. If he tells anyone of what he's seen, his brain will be erased. All must follow the plan.

Review: This movie was fab! For once the previews didn't give everything away so there were several surprises. The movie is also filled with beautiful, subtle moments.

Over a span of four years, we see David Norris push and get pushed. And though free will might be only something we're led falsely to believe in, all is not as perfect or as in control as the Bureau would like to believe. Chance and Fate can throw kinks in the system too.

Mr. Damon and Ms. Blunt have great chemistry. All their moments together are fresh and heartfelt. Elisa is in no way your standard girl, and that just made the movie so much more fun.

The concept of the travel doors and a multi dimensional convoluted travel system was awesome - even the supernatural beings complained about navigating downtown New York. LOL.  Loved the concept of the hats! All the special effects are very subtle and were made all the more awesome for it.  This could be happening to anyone, anywhere, right now. (The notebooks were so cool, too!)

Didn't realize until the credits rolled that it was based on a short story by Philip K Dick. No wonder it had a little bit of everything in it! Too cool. A lot of layers and subtext. Definitely worth seeing.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (hubby says totally worth full price of admission!)

-- Gloria Oliver Unveiling the Fantastic www.gloriaoliver.com