By Austin Yoder | Contributor
Let's set aside, for a moment, the fact that "The Martian"is one of the most entertaining, clever and satisfying blockbusters to come along in recent years. Let's ignore its brilliant performances, exhilarating special effects and thrilling climax. The fact of the matter is that Ridley Scott's science fiction masterpiece is nothing short of the most disappointing film ever made, because, despite its misleading title and setting, there are literally no Martians in the entire movie.
Matt Damon plays Mark Watney, a botanist turned astronaut and the movie's supposed titular character. After becoming stranded on Mars and left for dead during a freak dust storm, Watney must tap into his seemingly endless MacGyver-esque intellect if he hopes to survive in the desolate wasteland until a rescue mission can arrive.
Damon brings a convincing amount of charm, humor and physicality to the role. This is made possible because, and I cannot stress this enough, Mark Watney is 100% human.
Damon is joined by an equally compelling and equally non-Martian supporting cast, including: Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kate Mara, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean and a host of other human being actors playing human being characters. Chastain stands out as Commander Melissa Lewis, the leader of Ares III Mars mission. In fact, this film is host to a number of strong female characters, a statement I, sadly, cannot make often. While other writers and directors should undoubtedly take some cues from Ridley Scott in his portrayal of women, his choice to include none of Hollywood's hardworking aliens in "The Martian" trulysets a poor example for the thousands of filmmakers that look up to him.
When I first heard about this film, I was excited, to say the least. I was looking forward to Matt Damon fighting malicious green aliens, or perhaps even a hostile takeover and colonization of Mars. Instead, all I got was an emotional, beautiful film that succeeds on every level. So, if powerful storytelling, compelling characters and broken promises are your cup of tea, then go see "The Martian." But don't expect to see any Martians.
