"The Martian"

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omgfridge
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Re: "The Martian"

Post by omgfridge »

It absolutely sucks. Had been avoiding it as it looked to be as Hollywood as they come. Was proved right with a lazy predictable bore.

Stewball
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Re: "The Martian"

Post by Stewball »

I guess I let myself become influenced by all the negativity on this out there, and had mentally shifted my evaluation of this down a bit. But I bought the disk and was reminded how good it is. I'm not really sure why some people are down on it, mostly because it casts a positive, albeit narrow, light on humanity; with only Jeff Daniels' bureaucrat character for minimal balance. But I can still appreciate a well done feelgood movie without feeling bad or guilty about it. I guess they could have had some Jihadists blow up Times Square during the universal vigil for his rescue, but maybe it helps to actually visualize what a world without evil, if only for a moment, would like.

As for Matt Damon, I'm torn. He's been in a lot of my favorite movies, so I use that to compartmentalize his idiotic personal stances, put them in a box, bury it, then plant a tree over it...a weeping willow. 8-)

To add to my thoughts on the music, I imagine Ridley Scott trying to come up with the songs to use, and after finally giving up on our contemporary Euterpian wasteland for providing anything, he must have thought, what the hell, even Disco is better. Thus the running satire that might even revive the likes of Donna Summer and ABBA. In fact, I'm surprised they didn't use Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" during the movie instead of burying it in the credits.

Killer 3-D, BTW. 9/10

VinegarBob
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Re: "The Martian"

Post by VinegarBob »

Stewball wrote:...might even revive the likes of Donna Summer and ABBA.


ABBA never died.

Stewball
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Re: "The Martian"

Post by Stewball »

Rumplesink wrote:
Stewball wrote:...might even revive the likes of Donna Summer and ABBA.


ABBA never died.


By "revive" I meant, introduce it to this current generation in need of more musical discrimination than any in the history of recorded music, many of whom didn't have any idea what disco was until this.

TheSean
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Re: "The Martian"

Post by TheSean »

As time has gone by I've reevaluated my initial thoughts on this film. I thought it was 'pretty good' at the time. Now, I'm not so sure. I'm 100% sure I will never see it again. It's way too cheesy. I didn't find the "jokes" funny. It did look amazing. The action scenes were great. The Mars stuff was good... but everything that happened on Earth was terrible and boring. Ruined it for me.

Neonman
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Re: "The Martian"

Post by Neonman »

When it comes to this trend of survival films, I at least prefer something easy, not ground-breaking, but solid like this or In the Heart of the Sea as opposed to the showey, self-satisfied slog that is The Revenant. I do think the comedy in the film (in this drama film) is a real double-edged sword -- it alleviates quite a lot of the tension this film may've had and makes the viewer disengage from Damon's character, yet it also engages the viewer on a different level by showing how important humour can be in such stressful situations. I guess that made it more realistic and even life-affirming, which I respect, though it could've been held back just a little bit whilst keeping the light tone and without turning this film into something uber-serious.

Stewball
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Re: "The Martian"

Post by Stewball »

Neonman wrote:When it comes to this trend of survival films, I at least prefer something easy, not ground-breaking, but solid like this or In the Heart of the Sea as opposed to the showey, self-satisfied slog that is The Revenant. I do think the comedy in the film (in this drama film) is a real double-edged sword -- it alleviates quite a lot of the tension this film may've had and makes the viewer disengage from Damon's character, yet it also engages the viewer on a different level by showing how important humour can be in such stressful situations. I guess that made it more realistic and even life-affirming, which I respect, though it could've been held back just a little bit whilst keeping the light tone and without turning this film into something uber-serious.



Sooooo, what's the final verdict on humor?

Neonman
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Re: "The Martian"

Post by Neonman »

Stewball wrote:
Neonman wrote:When it comes to this trend of survival films, I at least prefer something easy, not ground-breaking, but solid like this or In the Heart of the Sea as opposed to the showey, self-satisfied slog that is The Revenant. I do think the comedy in the film (in this drama film) is a real double-edged sword -- it alleviates quite a lot of the tension this film may've had and makes the viewer disengage from Damon's character, yet it also engages the viewer on a different level by showing how important humour can be in such stressful situations. I guess that made it more realistic and even life-affirming, which I respect, though it could've been held back just a little bit whilst keeping the light tone and without turning this film into something uber-serious.



Sooooo, what's the final verdict on humor?

I know that sounds contradictory, I have very mixed opinion on the humour. It works in one way, and doesn't work in another way. The final verdict is I believe the film should've had a more serious tone overall, but still should retain some of the humour and jokes that are integral to the life-affirming human spirit business I mentioned.

Stewball
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Re: "The Martian"

Post by Stewball »

Neonman wrote:I know that sounds contradictory, I have very mixed opinion on the humour. It works in one way, and doesn't work in another way. The final verdict is I believe the film should've had a more serious tone overall, but still should retain some of the humour and jokes that are integral to the life-affirming human spirit business I mentioned.


Sort of incipient bi-polar then. :roll:

But I think your raw characterization is right on. Facing eminent doom with energy and humor is what kept him from freaking out and surrendering to the inevitable pathos of the situation. It's THE most outstanding quality of the movie, and it was pulled off by the perfect casting of Matt Damon, Scott's direction, and it goes without saying, the writing.

I think what you're feeling is our culture's new found emphasis on meaning being irrevocably tied to tragedy. We've come to look at happy endings as not reflecting reality. But real life more often than not presents a complex mix of comedy, tragedy and profundity; but we tend to focus on only one of those at a time, usually from the first two, because the third has us treading deep water.

Pickpocket
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Re: "The Martian"

Post by Pickpocket »

Stewball wrote:
But I think your raw characterization is right on. Facing eminent doom with energy and humor is what kept him from freaking out and surrendering to the inevitable pathos of the situation. It's THE most outstanding quality of the movie, and it was pulled off by the perfect casting of Matt Damon, Scott's direction, and it goes without saying, the writing.

Even though I didn't like the movie I wrote about Damon's performance as the one saving grace. Not many actors can pull off what he did in that movie.

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