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 - Exodus: Gods and Kings

Exodus: Gods and Kings

Starring: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, Maria Valverde, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, Hiam Abbass, Indira Varma, and more.

Directed by: Ridley Scott Written by: Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, Jeffrey Caine, and Steven Zaillian Cinematography by: Dariusz Wolski Music by: Alberto Iglesias

Premise: Moses and Ramses are cousins raised together as brothers in the thriving city of Memphis. Though Ramses is the heir, between the whispers from his mother, his father's dotting affections for Moses, and a prophecy before a battle with the Hittites, he feels insecure of his future. So when a grovelling official tells him a story brought to him by some Hebrew slaves, Ramses pushes to discover if the tales of Moses being Hebrew are true. Though disbelieving of the story himself, Moses learns much about the Hebrew people after he is exiled. And due to events, he comes back to Memphis nine years later to demand the freedom of the Israelites in Egypt from Pharaoh. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Thumbs Up: Though the film had a great line up of actors and they did good to great work, they didn't feel well used. Sigourney Weaver's presence just about explodes on the screen during Ramses' coronation, but aside from a few lines and some telling stares, they did little with her talents. Ben Kingsley suffered a similar fate, though he did get more screen time.

Joel Edgerton did do a great job as Ramses - his jealousies, insecurities, and begrudging love were very easy to see. Christian Bale does a good job with what he's given, but the dilution of Moses' character with the direction they took the film didn't push or demand of him the presence and command that Moses would have had to have as the leader of the Israelites. You see it in his youth as the general in Seti's army, but aside from a few moments at the beach side...


2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The recreations of Egypt by sets and CGI were fantastic. There were definitely times when you couldn't tell the difference. The shots of the city in the day, at night, on fire - just gorgeous. The mining area too was impressive in its scope.

The plagues were well done. You really felt sorry for everyone in Memphis who had to go through that nastiness. Seeing the nile and all the waterways turned red as far as the eye could see was a view to behold. Yet of all of them, it was the night the children died that was the most subtle and most impressive - the curtain of darkness snuffing out the light, literally and figuratively, spoke volumes.

The one spot I expected to be the most impressed at, however, I wasn't. The parting of the Red Sea wasn't so much a parting than a pulling back from shore, so it lost a lot of impact despite the fact we did get a giant wave. And the burning bush? Not sure why they bothered...The black mud was more impressive. :(

Strangely, with the current technology and CGI capabilities, you'd have expected the movie to exploit that to make the plagues more fantastic, but as you'll see in the next section, the direction taken by the script, pushed everything in the opposite direction.


3) Plot/Story - Neutral: Most people know the story of Moses, so movie watchers would have some expectations as to what is to come. Those who are of the Faith know even more on the details of the story. So while a lot of things were correct, a lot of others weren't. And some of the change choices did not help, but rather hurt the film. The biggest being the relationship between Moses and God. God bids him to check on his people and set them free, yet does not have him warn the Pharaoh or even tell Moses before unleashing the plagues. Only the last one were either of them told of before hand. Moses as a character never seemed to believe in the choices he made. The charisma and presence that made Moses a great general and leader for the Egyptians was almost completely absent when he returned to Egypt. Moses had no fire burning in him - and therefore neither did the audience.

Most of the secondary characters we do not get to know (except the viceroy), some thrown in without even an introduction, making the viewers feel lost. This was especially true during the scene where Ramses tries to get the truth from the maid - you thought maybe Sigourney Weaver might be Ramses' mother, but the other woman it took a while to realize was the dead Pharaoh's sister and by then, it didn't matter. If it was filmed, such things looked to have been lost to the editing floor. More's the pity.

The confrontation between the wizards of Egypt and the power of God didn't make it on the film. If anything, despite the bits here and there screaming of a force bypassing the normal laws of nature, everything was made to look as if it could have happened on its own, just on a grander scale. This screamed out the loudest during the parting (really more of a drawing back) of the Red Sea. Almost as if the writers couldn't make up their minds as to which approach to take and in so doing spoiled the whole thing.

And speaking of making things more scientifically feasible - giant wave falling/crashing dead on you at the edge equals death. Definitely - death.

And why did they decide to give God a British accent?!?!?!?

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: The clashing of two armies, chariots, swords, chaos - lots of lovely stunt work. The volleys of arrows coming down on the Hittites and watching them strike was a sight to behold.

5) Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: An epic tale deserves epic views and the film had plenty of them. From the pull back view shots of Seti's palace, to the grand view of Memphis, there were many awesome sights to be enjoyed. (Though I will say some of the statues were way bigger than standard Egyptian ones - so they looked odd.) The shots of the mountains and deserts as well as the migration of four hundred thousand Israelites were fun to see - the scope was mind boggling.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: They may have skimped on story and a few miracles, but on makeup and costuming they went all the way and more. Ramses' armor for the war with the Hittites was fantastic! All of Sigourney Weaver's hats were delicious. The getup of the High Priestess at the beginning was a cool contrast between her and the medium of her oracle readings. Ramses' and his wife's nightclothes almost shimmered and looked ever so cool for those hot Egyptian evenings.

Loved all the bangles and jewelry Moses' wife wore, and especially her tattoo. She also was better dressed than almost everyone except the Egyptian royalty.

They also did amazing work with the sores, boils, and other skin issues the Egyptians developed. The royal family was not spared and we got to see their booboos up close. Eek!

Conclusion: While visually exciting, the end result of diluting Moses' character and not giving him fire for Christian Bale to play with, as well as trying to make the plagues fit scientifically plausible molds, what you end up with leaves you only lukewarm. Which was just too bad.

Rating: 3 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better For Matinee)

Movie Review - Prometheus

Prometheus

Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Logan Marshall-Green, Sean Harris, Rafe Spall, Emun Elliot, Benedict Wong, Kate Dickie, and more.

Directed by: Ridley Scott Written by: Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof Original Music by: Marc Streitenfeld  Cinematography by: Dariusz Wolski

Premise: Dr Elizabeth Shaw and Dr Charlie Holloway believe they've found messages from a race they call the Engineers in multiple engravings and cave paintings spanning over 35,000 years. Gaining the backing of major corporate player Weyland Industries, they've been able to use the drawings to narrow the location depicted in the paintings and carvings down to a specific solar system. After her crew spends over two years in cryogenic sleep, the Prometheus finally reaches the system. But not everyone's motivations for this trip are what they seem and certain assumptions made are about to be proved terribly wrong. (Rated R)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Noomi Rapace made a very convincing Dr Shaw. Michael Fassbender was excellent as the android David 8. He gave great depth and nuance to the character of David, a being both mentally superior to humans and enslaved all the same, in many ways having the same issues as the interesting Meredith Vickers. Charlie Theron was a lot of fun as Vickers. She showed both the woman's strengths and insecurities quite well.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects in this film were amazing! Seeing them in IMAX 3D just made me appreciate their efforts all the more. The HUD and bridge screens looked fantastic in 3D.

The 3D imager compiling data from the scanner spheres made for a fabulous visual. Overall, the Earth equipment looked advanced yet usable by every day people. The filmmakers even managed to keep and expand on the 'look and feel' of the original alien technology seen briefly in the original film Alien, tying the two, at least visually, together.

The sequence at the very beginning of the film was grand and even a clue to the reason of further events. Don't blink or you might miss the last tiny bit and what it implies.

3) Plot/Story - Neutral: If there was one place the film proved disappointing, it would have to be the story. Syncing anything to preexisting material can be difficult - that is a given. And while several items did get set up to relate back to the 1979 Alien film, there were too many other places where the story had no cohesion or explanations that made sense.

There were a couple of sub story plots that were interesting with regards to Dr Shaw and Dr Holloway as well as between David and Vickers, but the general story and the direction it takes failed to hold up. We meet a lot of people in a short time, but most don't get filled out before they're gone. The investment of the audience in what happens to the film characters wasn't solidified enough before things happened to them.

A lot of the issues stemmed from the 'convenience factor'. You have a group of people all going together to unknown areas of space yet before they come out of cryo-sleep, most have never even met before. And while several of those on the exploration team are scientists, they make some of the most unbelievable choices possible.

It could be that a lot of the footage which might have helped the story hold together better ended up on the cutting room floor or perhaps not. Either way, this most pivotal of items for a film was very lacking.

What answers the audience is given with regards to what is going on, and why, are few, and several don't actually make sense when looked at closely. Definitely a negative point for the film.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: From the moment the film begins, the audience is mesmerized by gorgeous sweeping scenes. Real or imagined, the movie watchers are given beautiful awe inspiring images throughout. Between the 'top-notch' Special Effects and the wonderful Cinematography, Prometheus should definitely be getting any number of awards.

Conclusion: Worth seeing purely for the fantastic visuals. Don't expect many answers, and those you do get may not necessarily make any real sense. Left open for a sequel.

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 (Visually 5 out of 5!) (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price Of Admission.)