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+ Best Huge Hit Movie of the Year + Best Science-Fiction Movie of the Year
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| Star Matt Damon's well-known and adored mug in a space helmet is looking straight at us on the poster for Ridley Scott's The Martian |
A group of astronauts on Mars get into an emergency and leave the planet without one man, whom they believe to be dead. But he isn't. And now he is trapped alone on Mars ...
The Martian is written by Drew Goddard (The Good Place (2016-20)), based on the same-titled 2011 novel by Andy Weir (Theft of Pride (2000)), and directed by English master filmmaker Ridley Scott (The Duellists (1977)), whose 23rd feature it is.
Scott seems to come full circle here in terms of his body of work; his career as a leader in popular mega-cinema exploded with Alien (1979), a film of the horrors of space, and here it returns to space but now to a story of the incredible nature of our ability to explore the unknown, - and (not least) return home from it again.
As a science-enthusiastic and sober major motion picture The Martian is extraordinary, and it reminds its audiences what human abilities can muster when we work together.
It is very much a film for its time, and its best sequence, which involves David Bowie's Starman (1972), makes one positively hopeful - a rare treat in today's world.
The Martian is a little over-long, and some in its handsome, eclectic star cast, (Kristen Wiig (The Simpsons (2011-13)) in particular), are wasted. Others, like Sean Bean (Legends (2014-15)), Jeff Daniels (Because of Winn-Dixie (2005)) and Donald Glover (Guava Island (2019)), get to shine, and Matt Damon (The Third Wheel (2002)) is equally credible as the indomitably up-beat human of resources Mark Watney.
The Martian is a well-made sci-fi adventure that'll rouse your spirits. Don't miss it.
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2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
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2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
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American Gangster (2007) - Great American - now black - gangster picture
A Good Year (2006) - Ridley Scott likes Provence
Hannibal (2001) - Grisly highlights in low-yielding Scott sequel
2000 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Blade Runner (1982) director's cut - Visual extravaganza, great SF
Alien (1979) or, Space Eggs Are Bad News
Watch a trailer for the film here
Cost: 108 mil. $
Box office: 630.1 mil. $
= Huge hit (returned 5.83 times its cost)
[The Martian premiered 11 September (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 141 minutes. Goddard was initially intended to direct but turned instead to comic adaptation Sinister Six, which is still not made. Shooting took place in Jordan, Hungary, including Budapest, in Houston, Texas and in California for about 70 days in and around March 2015. NASA was deeply involved with advising on many aspects of the film, which is estimated to be "reasonably realistic", according to James L. Green, Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA. Co-star Jessica Chastain was reportedly paid 2 mil. $ for her performance, whereas Damon is reported to have earned 18 mil. $. Disregarding that the film is a star vehicle which Damon carries, Chastain has offered her anger at the salary differences in public. The film opened #1 to a 54.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it was #1 another 4 weekends (not consecutively) and remained in the top 5 for another 3 weeks, grossing 228.4 mil. $ (36.2 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were China with 94.9 mil. $ (15.1 %) and the UK with 33.9 mil. $ (5.4 %). It was Fox's highest-grossing film of the year and the 10th highest-grossing of the year overall. It was nominated for 7 Oscars, winning none: It lost Best Picture to Spotlight, Actor to Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant, Adapted Screenplay to Charles Randolph and Adam McKay for The Big Short, Production Design to Mad Max: Fury Road, Sound Mixing and Sound Editing also to Mad Max: Fury Road, and Visual Effects to Ex Machina. It won 2/3 Golden Globe nominations, was nominated for 6 BAFTAs, won an AFI award, 4 National Board of Review awards and several other honors. Scott returned with Alien: Covenant - Prologue: The Crossing (2017, short) and theatrically with Alien: Covenant (2017). Damon returned in Jason Bourne (2016). The Martian is certified fresh at 91 % with a 7.85/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
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