REVIEW: "Martian" - the triumph of scientific knowledge and the use of duct tape

"Martian" - the first science fiction film by Ridley Scott after the dubious success of "Prometheus": while the critics appreciated the prequel "Alien" very well, fans of the universe have criticized the film for numerous logical errors and problems with the motivation of the characters (later acknowledged these mistakes themselves authors).

In "Martian" for the processing of the book Andy Weir in screenwriting meets Drew Goddard, famous for the cult TV series "Buffy" and Lost, the recent "Daredevil" and the witty "Cabin in the Woods". So with a script everything should be fine, right?

It is said that the book I have not read, so review refers only to the fact that I saw coming to the cinema. And I saw this.

First of all - in the hall was a lot of people. Literally not a single empty seat. It's amazing, because the film does not belong to one of the popular franchise - this is not the last part of "The Hunger Games", for instance. Well, perhaps "hard" science fiction is more popular among the people than I expected, or the "Martian" very competent advertising campaign - one of the two.

The first episode introduces us to the mission team "Ares III» and gives a first glimpse of the heroes: here joker, who was on all the posters (Matt Damon), she - Commander (Jessica Chastain), yet there is a young genius (Kate Mara), German (Aksel Hennie), handsome (Sebastian Stan) and another joker (Michael Pena). However, we will be able to know the characters a little better, and even remember their names, if you really try.

Then, of course, there are moments, codenamed "Everything went wrong." The protagonist, Mark Watney, during a severe Martian storm is torn away from his team, and they, believing him dead, fly back to Earth.

Mark wakes up, pulls out of the belly of the metal fragment of the antenna to find that there was one on the whole planet. In his possession - residential unit, personal belongings of members of the team, the rover and some potatoes.

After a brief despair and write a farewell video, Mark says that he is in fact a nerd. "Well, no, you will not wait, I'm not here'll die," - he decides and undertakes no easy matter - food growing on barren Martian soil very limited resources and the preparation of the rover to the long journey through the wilderness to a place following the arrival of the mission - "Ares IV».

Just this part seemed to me the most interesting. If you read "Robinson Crusoe" and you fascinated by the quests of the hero for the extraction of useful things the wreckage of the ship, the domestication of wild goats and the cultivation of simple vegetable crops - you too enjoy. And the ingenuity, resourcefulness and nebrezglivosti Mark Watney can only envy.

Soon, NASA employees learn that Mark is alive. They seek to establish contact with him, and as soon as possible to send to Mars cargo ship with supplies to at that was at least some chance to wait for rescue. a host of new characters appear, the names of which you can not even try to remember (but to help the viewer to show the captions with the names and positions). They play a well-known actors, so it's not very scary - uznáete face.

But from the moment when NASA learns that Watney is lost, the script gets antsy. The plot moves in spurts, and it is very difficult to keep track of the passage of time. Here Mark gently touches the very first rostochku on his future potato plantation, and we see the date "Sol 61", when suddenly already Sol 245, NASA launches a ship with supplies (spoiler: it's only the middle of the movie, so the launch was a failure), and there is something still. No, I watched carefully. And if in your head to restore the events of the film in a logical sequence, everything seems to look slimmer. But this does not negate the fact that at the time of viewing can be a little "lost", especially if you have not read the book. A feeling that when installing a trim left on some scenes. Perhaps we will see them all in the director's version - but it's not fair.

Second problem: the hero is difficult to empathize. Actually at this point I have the attitude is ambiguous. On the one hand, this is a good move: to abandon melodramatic injection. Mark Watney not They reflect on their poor position (even when it is practically hopeless), it just takes and does what needs to be done - otherwise you will die. At the same time he does not even have a girlfriend inconsolable that would longingly looked at the starry sky.

And no matter how paradoxical it may sound, abandoned astronaut on Mars, the only living soul on the whole planet - was not really one, except that in the beginning. When NASA have found a way to communicate with him, for Mark is constantly looked after, he was led by the hand and did not leave for a minute of screen time. We assume that I did not have the feeling of the infinite universal loneliness.

To avoid the impression that I'm just finding fault - I liked the music and the Martian landscape. Alien panorama taken in the Jordanian desert of Wadi Rum, stunningly good. And David Bowie on the soundtrack and I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor - definitely yes.

In general, "Martian" nothing to blame. "Hard" science fiction remains so (I believe the guys from NASA, which advised the filmmakers). Good actors. Russian dubbing was at this time, it seems quite good. There are a couple of funny jokes.

And the basic idea is very worthy of respect: the scientific knowledge brought a man to Mars and they will be returned to his home. And again, well, when there are people who will be ready for you to spend one and a half more years in the open space.

Whether to go to the "Martian" in the movie? If you crave adventure in the spirit of "Space - the final frontier" and pioneering atmosphere - it is not to be disappointed. If your taste movies about the triumph of the forces of the spirit over circumstances of the triumph of reason and the power of friendship - something, perhaps, yes. But do not expect too much.

And in general should go at least to ensure that you are able to maintain a conversation when a group of friends or co-workers would go a speech about "Martian" - it will happen.

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