Last week, the premiere of Ridley Scott’s “The Martian” coincided with NASA scientists’ announcement of the discovery of water on real-life Mars, the fourth planet from the sun. The latest, crowd-pleasing entry in the sci-fi film pantheon took in $55 million over its first weekend, and the movie is now playing across Island theaters.
A water source might have made life a little easier for Matt Damon’s Mark Watney, who gets left behind on the red planet when a NASA mission there aborts. Mission commander Melissa Lewis, ably played by Jessica Chastain, makes the decision to leave Watney behind when it appears he’s been killed by flying debris in a sandstorm. Ever cheerful and resourceful, the abandoned astronaut chats into a computer video recorder to keep us posted, and finds interesting ways to use duct tape.
Watney’s most immediate challenges include how to develop the nutritional ingredients that will keep him alive until the next Mars mission arrives in four years. Trained as a botanist, he initiates an ingenious agricultural venture that involves growing potatoes by recycling his own waste. Before long, he’s producing a bumper crop, which he seasons with ketchup. For water, he figures out a way to turn missile propulsion fuel into water. Soon NASA, back home in Houston, is tracking Watney’s movements, and he figures out how to rig a communications system to keep him in touch with his home base.
Plenty of scientific jargon flows back and forth between the abandoned astronaut and Mission Control, hard to comprehend for anyone not a scientist. Not to worry: a stapler and a pen serve as implements to illustrate one of the complex maneuvers planned to retrieve Watney.
A veritable United Nations of well-known actors makes up the team of Watney’s supporters. In addition to Ms. Chastain, Jeff Daniels plays the heavy (sort of) as NASA chief, and Chiwetel Ejiofor the more appealing Vincent Kapoor, director of Mars operations. Kristen Wiig puts in appearance as Mission Control’s Annie Montrose, along with Michael Pena as Rick Martinez, while Kate Mara does a turn as the aborted Mars mission’s Beth Johanssen. Daniel Glover also steps in as a science nerd, a character type all of these capable actors inhabit and enliven. Indeed, director Scott celebrates both the practical wonders of science and the people who make it work.
“The Martian” primarily promotes American ingenuity, but also supports a sense of global unity — when China steps in to pick up the pieces after a component of NASA’s push to retrieve Watney goes astray. In an interesting, if hard-to-swallow take on media coverage, the film offers live, worldwide coverage of the efforts to save Watney.
Don’t expect profound thoughts about space travel and the wonders of the universe in “The Martian.” That’s not Scott’s signature. What is, is breathtaking shots of the Mars landscape, which southern Jordan stands in for. And Matt Damon’s turn as the can-do, jokey and always optimistic Watney, supported by a willing crew of astronauts, scientists, and technicians, makes “The Martian” an upbeat, fun-filled space adventure for the whole family (except for some salty language).
“The Martian,” Friday, October 9, 4 pm, M.V. Film Center, Vineyard Haven. Thursday, October 8, 6:30 pm and Friday, October 9, Capawock Theater, Vineyard Haven. Saturday, October 10, 6 pm and Sunday, October 11, 7 pm, Strand Theater, Oak Bluffs. Thursday, October 8, 3:30 pm (3D) and 6:30 pm; Saturday, October 10, 12:30 pm (3D), 3:30 pm, 6:30 pm (3D), 9:30 pm; Monday, October 12, 12:45 pm, 3:45 pm (3D), 6:45 pm; Tuesday, October 13, 12:30 pm (3D), 3:30 pm, 6:30 pm (3D); Thursday October 15, 3:30 pm (3D), and 6:30 pm.