Jump to content

The Martian (film): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎Critical response: updated reviews
accuracy
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile app edit
Line 112: Line 112:


== Scientific accuracy ==
== Scientific accuracy ==
James L. Green, the Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA, worked as an adviser for the film and commended the filmmakers' dedication to accuracy.<ref name="ordona">{{cite news | last=Ordoña | first=Michael | url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Will-Matt-Damon-be-our-new-favorite-Martian-6469122.php | title=Will Matt Damon be our new favorite Martian? | work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] | date=August 27, 2015 | accessdate=September 1, 2015 }}</ref> The film adapted the science in the novel, which Andy Weir researched heavily and used reader feedback to get right. The process of [[electrolysis]] used by the character Watney to produce water was accurate and is being used by NASA for a planned Martian rover. The [[radioisotope thermoelectric generator]] was also appropriately used for heat.<ref>{{cite news | last=Cohn | first=Paulette | url=http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015/08/28/science-behind-martian-movie-gets-nasa-thumbs-up/ | title=The science behind 'The Martian' movie gets a NASA 'thumbs up' | work=[[FOX News]] | date=August 28, 2015 | accessdate=September 1, 2015 }}</ref> Discoveries after the novel's publication revealed an inaccuracy. On Mars, dust storms may reach wind speeds of {{convert|120|mph|kph}}, but atmospheric pressure was determined to be too low for wind to cause significant damage.<ref name="ordona" /><ref>{{cite news | last=Dorminey | first=Bruce | url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2015/08/31/rethinking-the-martian-why-dust-storms-wouldnt-sabotage-a-real-mars-mission/ | title=Rethinking 'The Martian': Why Dust Storms Wouldn't Sabotage A Real Mars Mission | work=[[Forbes]] | date=August 31, 2015 | accessdate=September 1, 2015 }}</ref>
James L. Green, the Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA, worked as an adviser for the film and commended the filmmakers' dedication to accuracy.<ref name="ordona">{{cite news | last=Ordoña | first=Michael | url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Will-Matt-Damon-be-our-new-favorite-Martian-6469122.php | title=Will Matt Damon be our new favorite Martian? | work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] | date=August 27, 2015 | accessdate=September 1, 2015 }}</ref> The film adapted the science in the novel, which Andy Weir researched heavily and used reader feedback to get right. The process of [[electrolysis]] used by the character Watney to produce water was accurate and is being used by NASA for a planned Martian rover. The [[radioisotope thermoelectric generator]] was also appropriately used for heat.<ref>{{cite news | last=Cohn | first=Paulette | url=http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015/08/28/science-behind-martian-movie-gets-nasa-thumbs-up/ | title=The science behind 'The Martian' movie gets a NASA 'thumbs up' | work=[[FOX News]] | date=August 28, 2015 | accessdate=September 1, 2015 }}</ref> Discoveries after the novel's publication revealed an inaccuracy. On Mars, dust storms may reach wind speeds of {{convert|120|mph|kph}}, but atmospheric pressure was determined to be too low for wind to cause significant damage.<ref name="ordona" /><ref>{{cite news | last=Dorminey | first=Bruce | url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2015/08/31/rethinking-the-martian-why-dust-storms-wouldnt-sabotage-a-real-mars-mission/ | title=Rethinking 'The Martian': Why Dust Storms Wouldn't Sabotage A Real Mars Mission | work=[[Forbes]] | date=August 31, 2015 | accessdate=September 1, 2015 }}</ref> When his rations begin to run low, Watney builds an improvised garden using Martian soil and his own waste as a fertilizer. "We could probably grow something on Mars," says Dr. Michael Shara, curator, [[Department of Astrophysics, Division of Physical Sciences]] at the [[American Museum of Natural History]].<ref name="accuracy">{{cite web|url=http://nypost.com/2015/09/26/what-the-martian-gets-right-and-wrong-about-life-on-mars/|title=What ‘The Martian’ gets right — and wrong — about life on Mars|author=Reed Tucker|work=[[New York Post]]|date=September 26, 2015|accessdate=September 27, 2015}}</ref>


While Martian gravity is less than 40% of Earth's, director Ridley Scott chose not to depict the gravitational difference, finding the effort less worthwhile to put on screen than zero gravity.<ref name="bradley" /> Scott said the heavy spacesuits would weigh the main character enough to make up for not showing the partial gravity.<ref name="dave" />
While Martian gravity is less than 40% of Earth's, director Ridley Scott chose not to depict the gravitational difference, finding the effort less worthwhile to put on screen than zero gravity.<ref name="bradley" /> Scott said the heavy spacesuits would weigh the main character enough to make up for not showing the partial gravity.<ref name="dave" />

Revision as of 01:38, 27 September 2015

The Martian
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRidley Scott
Screenplay byDrew Goddard
Produced by
  • Simon Kinberg
  • Ridley Scott
  • Michael Schaefer
  • Aditya Sood
  • Mark Huffam
Starring
CinematographyDariusz Wolski
Edited byPietro Scalia
Music byHarry Gregson-Williams
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • September 11, 2015 (2015-09-11) (TIFF)
  • October 2, 2015 (2015-10-02) (United States)
Running time
141 minutes[2]
LandUnited States[1]
SpracheEnglisch
Budget$108 million[3]

The Martian is a 2015 American[nb 1] science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon. The film is based on Andy Weir's 2011 novel The Martian, which was adapted into a screenplay by Drew Goddard. Damon stars as an astronaut who is presumed dead and left behind on the planet Mars, and he fights to survive the situation. The film also features Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, and Chiwetel Ejiofor in supporting roles.

Producer Simon Kinberg began developing the film after 20th Century Fox optioned the novel in March 2013. Drew Goddard adapted the novel into a screenplay and was initially attached to direct, but the film did not move forward. Ridley Scott replaced Goddard, and with Damon in place as the main character, production was green-lit. Filming began in November 2014 and lasted approximately 70 days. Around 20 sets were built on a sound stage in Budapest, Hungary, one of the largest in the world. Wadi Rum in Jordan was also used as a practical backdrop for filming. Andy Weir, who developed a relationship with NASA after publishing the novel, involved the space program in working with Scott to accurately depict the film's science and technology.

The film premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2015. 20th Century Fox plans to release the film in theaters in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2015 and in theaters in the United States on October 2, 2015. The film will be in 2D and 3D.

Synopsis

A human mission to Mars goes awry, and astronaut Mark Watney (Damon) is presumed dead and left behind on the planet by his crew. Watney fights to survive in the harsh environment and to signal to others that he is still alive. Upon discovering Watney's signal, NASA, scientists all around Earth, and his crew members collaborate to find a way to rescue him.[5]

Cast

Production

The Martian is directed by Ridley Scott based on Drew Goddard's screenplay adapted from Andy Weir's 2011 novel The Martian. The studio 20th Century Fox optioned the novel in March 2013, and producer Simon Kinberg was attached to develop the novel into a film.[7] In the following May, Drew Goddard entered negotiations with the studio to write and direct The Martian.[8] Goddard wrote a screenplay for the film,[9] and Matt Damon expressed interest in starring under Goddard's direction. Goddard then pursued an opportunity to direct Sinister Six, a comic book film about a team of supervillains.[10] Kinberg then brought the book to Ridley Scott's attention.[11] In May 2014, Scott entered negotiations with the studio to direct the film with Damon cast as the film's stranded astronaut.[12] Scott said he was attracted by the emphasis on science and thought a balance could be struck between entertainment and learning. Damon said he was attracted by the novel, the screenplay and the opportunity to work with Scott.[13] Following Scott's commitment, the project picked up the pace to be quickly green-lighted.[14]

Wadi Rum in Jordan was a practical backdrop for Mars in filming The Martian

Korda Studios outside Budapest, Hungary was selected for filming The Martian due to having one of the largest sound stages in the world.[15][16] Filming began in Hungary on November 24, 2014.[17] Around 20 sets were constructed for The Martian (where 70 were built for Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings and over 100 for American Gangster).[16] Actual potatoes were grown in a sound stage next to the one used for filming. They were planted at different times to be used to show different stages of growth in the film.[18] A team of six people built 15 suits for the film. Filming also took place at Wadi Rum in Jordan, which served as a practical backdrop for Mars.[16] Wadi Rum had been used as a backdrop for other films set on Mars, including Mission to Mars (2000), Red Planet (2000), and The Last Days on Mars (2013).[19] Filming lasted approximately 70 days.[16]

Andy Weir avoided writing Watney as lonely and depressed in his novel. While Watney's humor is preserved in the film, Scott balanced it against visually depicting the character's isolation in the inhospitable territory. Damon said he and Scott were inspired by the 2003 documentary film Touching the Void, which featured trapped mountain climbers.[20] Scott also expected to film Watney as a Robinson Crusoe, a character in full isolation, but learned to film Watney differently since the character would be self-monitoring his behavior under the watch of various mission cameras.[18]

When the novel was first published, NASA invited Andy Weir to tour the Johnson Space Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. When Ridley Scott began preparing the film, Weir contacted NASA to collaborate on the film. James L. Green, the Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA, assisted the filmmakers with depicting the science and technology in The Martian since NASA saw potential in promoting space exploration.[21] Various experts at NASA served as advisers for the film.[22] As part of the collaboration, the production's NASA liaison included the front page of the script for The Martian in the payload of the spacecraft Orion during its Exploration Flight Test 1 on December 5, 2014.[23]

Marketing

Studio 20th Century Fox launched a viral marketing campaign for The Martian.[24] On June 7, 2015, NASA astronaut Michael J. Massimino shared via Twitter an in-universe video diary depicting Matt Damon's character and the other crew members.[25] Ars Technica compared the video diary to similar viral videos marketed for Ridley Scott's 2012 film Prometheus in having a similar "style of slickly produced fictional promotional material". The studio then released an official trailer on June 8.[26] Forbes said, "20th Century Fox has cut together a pretty perfect trailer in that it absolutely makes the sale. It establishes the stakes, offers a sympathetic lead character, shows off an all-star cast, tosses out a potential catchphrase, and ends on a grimly humorous tagline."[27] In response to the trailer, Jimmy Kimmel, host of the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, released a spoof trailer The Mastronaut: Emission to Mars that edited the original to parody the film.[28]

At the start of August, Fox released another viral video depicting interviews with each of the main crew members.[29] Mid-month, the studio released another film trailer, and NASA hosted a "Martian Day" at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to both promote The Martian and highlight the space program's ongoing efforts to carry out a human mission to Mars.[22] At the end of August, Fox released another viral video, presenting it as a special episode of the TV show StarTalk in which astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses the hazards of traveling to Mars.[30]

Release

The Martian premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2015.[1] It will screen at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas on September 29, 2015.[31][32]

The film is scheduled to be released in theaters in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2015.[33] The film is also scheduled to be released in theaters in the United States on October 2, 2015. For the US, it was originally scheduled to be released on November 25, 2015, but 20th Century Fox switched The Martian with Victor Frankenstein so the former would be the first film for all audiences in the country's autumn season (September – November).[34] The film will have 3D screenings. RealD's chief Anthony Marcoly said 3D technology was proliferating from action-packed blockbuster films commonly released in the United States's summer season. Marcoly said the technology was being used in more immersive storytelling, citing late 2015's The Martian and The Walk as two examples.[35]

The Los Angeles Times said NASA and the wider scientific community anticipated the film as a way to publicize a human mission to Mars. Ed Finn, director of the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University, said, "What this story does really well is imagine a near-future scenario that doesn't push too far of where we are today technically." NASA project manager Jim Erickson said the film would show moviegoers "the risks and rewards" of humans traveling to Mars.[36]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a rating of 93%, based on 46 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Smart, thrilling, and surprisingly funny, The Martian offers a faithful adaptation of the bestselling book that brings out the best in leading man Matt Damon and director Ridley Scott."[37] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 73 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[38]

Peter Debruge, chief international film critic at Variety, hailed The Martian as "an enthralling and rigorously realistic outer-space survival story."[39] Henry Barbes of The Guardian awarded the film three stars out of five. He placed the film in between Scott's Alien (1979) and Prometheus (2012) and said, "It is not fantastic, in either sense, but it does show-off a sense of play. For a survival flick it’s actually pretty light on peril, but it’s not short of thrills."[40] Writing for the New York Post, Lou Lumenick considered the film to be Scott's and Damon's best and felt that it is a "straightforward and thrilling survival-and-rescue adventure, without the metaphysical and emotional trappings of Interstellar."[41]

Scientific accuracy

James L. Green, the Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA, worked as an adviser for the film and commended the filmmakers' dedication to accuracy.[42] The film adapted the science in the novel, which Andy Weir researched heavily and used reader feedback to get right. The process of electrolysis used by the character Watney to produce water was accurate and is being used by NASA for a planned Martian rover. The radioisotope thermoelectric generator was also appropriately used for heat.[43] Discoveries after the novel's publication revealed an inaccuracy. On Mars, dust storms may reach wind speeds of 120 miles per hour (190 km/h), but atmospheric pressure was determined to be too low for wind to cause significant damage.[42][44] When his rations begin to run low, Watney builds an improvised garden using Martian soil and his own waste as a fertilizer. "We could probably grow something on Mars," says Dr. Michael Shara, curator, Department of Astrophysics, Division of Physical Sciences at the American Museum of Natural History.[45]

While Martian gravity is less than 40% of Earth's, director Ridley Scott chose not to depict the gravitational difference, finding the effort less worthwhile to put on screen than zero gravity.[21] Scott said the heavy spacesuits would weigh the main character enough to make up for not showing the partial gravity.[36]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ While the film is directed by a British person, the film is produced at a U.S. studio.[1] The book Film Criticism as Cultural Fantasy states, "Following the conventions of international film distribution, the assignment of nationality to a film is normally based on the criterion of economically acquired rights to that nationality. Given that national rights can effectively be 'bought' by any nation providing a large enough percentage of the production funding for a feature film, the conventional economic definition of nationality is clearly not congruent with the supposed role of national cinema as a cultural export emerging from, and representing, a national cultural identity."[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "The Martian". tiff.net. Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  2. ^ "THE MARTIAN (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. September 16, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  3. ^ McCarthy, Todd (September 8, 2015). "From 'The Martian' to 'Truth,' Todd McCarthy's 5 Most Tantalizing Titles at TIFF". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  4. ^ McGregor, Andrew (2010). Film Criticism as Cultural Fantasy: The Perpetual French Discovery of Australian Cinema. Peter Lang. p. 21. ISBN 978-3-03-430053-7.
  5. ^ "The Martian | About". foxmovies.com. 20th Century Fox. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Lincoln, Ross A. (June 7, 2015). "Ridley Scott's 'The Martian' Gets Space Age Character Sheet". Deadline. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  7. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 12, 2013). "Fox Finds 'Martian' For Simon Kinberg". Variety. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  8. ^ Sneider, Jeff (May 15, 2013). "Drew Goddard in Negotiations to Write and Direct 'The Martian' for Fox". TheWrap. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  9. ^ Lidz, Gogo (June 18, 2015). "Matt Damon Spills About 'The Martian'". Newsweek. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  10. ^ Tilly, Chris (June 17, 2015). "Matt Damon Explains Why The Martian is a Love Letter to Science". IGN. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  11. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 24, 2014). "Michael Pena Circles Ridley Scott's 'The Martian' With Matt Damon". Variety. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  12. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 13, 2014). "Ridley Scott in Talks to Direct Fox's 'The Martian' With Matt Damon". Variety. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  13. ^ White, James (August 2015). "Inside The Martian: Empire Meets NASA". Empire. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  14. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 3, 2014). "Jessica Chastain Joins Matt Damon in Ridley Scott's 'The Martian'". Variety. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  15. ^ Daniels, Nia (September 18, 2014). "Ridley Scott's The Martian sets up to film in Hungary". kftv.com. KFTV. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  16. ^ a b c d Weintraub, Steve (June 17, 2015). "Over 30 Things to Know About Ridley Scott's The Martian from our Budapest Set Visit". Collider.com. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  17. ^ Foundas, Scott (November 25, 2014). "'Exodus: Gods and Kings' Director Ridley Scott on Creating His Vision of Moses". Variety. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  18. ^ a b Klimek, Chris (August 28, 2015). "Matt Damon, First Farmer on Mars". Air & Space. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  19. ^ Staff (March 17, 2015). "That's a wrap! Hollywood's 'The Martian' and Palestine's 'Arab Idol' finish scenes in Jordan". The Jordan Times. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  20. ^ Hutchinson, Lee (August 27, 2015). "Ars talks with Matt Damon on being astronaut Mark Watney in The Martian". Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  21. ^ a b Bradley, Ryan (August 19, 2015). "Why NASA Helped Ridley Scott Create 'The Martian' Film". Popular Science. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  22. ^ a b Wall, Mike (August 20, 2015). "'The Martian' Lands at NASA's Mars Mission Control (Photos)". Space.com. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  23. ^ Vilkomerson, Sara (December 19, 2014). "Ridley Scott sends his 'Martian' script into space". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  24. ^ Lesnick, Simon (August 27, 2015). "Neil deGrasse Tyson Hosts The Martian Viral Video". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  25. ^ Rosen, Christopher (June 7, 2015). "Matt Damon says farewell to Earth in viral promo for 'The Martian'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  26. ^ Hutchinson, Lee (June 8, 2015). "First trailers for The Martian movie released, with Mark Watney and friends". Ars Technica. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  27. ^ Mendelson, Scott (June 8, 2015). "Trailer Talk: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain's 'The Martian' Aces Marketing 101". Forbes. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  28. ^ Lee, Ashley (June 12, 2015). "Jimmy Kimmel Airs 'The Martian' Trailer Spoof to Make Fun of Matt Damon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  29. ^ Baker-Whitelaw, Gavia (August 4, 2015). "New viral video for 'The Martian' shows how the Ares crew deals with isolation". The Daily Dot. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  30. ^ Bradley, Laura (August 28, 2015). "Neil deGrasse Tyson Soothingly Explains the Science Behind The Martian". Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  31. ^ Collis, Clark (August 26, 2015). "Ridley Scott's The Martian to screen at Fantastic Fest". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  32. ^ "The Martian". fantasticfest.com. Fantastic Fest. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  33. ^ De Semlyen, Phil (August 25, 2015). "Exclusive New Look At Ridley Scott's The Martian". Empire. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  34. ^ McClintock, Pamela (June 10, 2015). "Fox Moves Ridley Scott's 'The Martian' to October". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  35. ^ Lang, Brent (July 12, 2015). "Movies Like 'The Martian,' 'The Walk' Will Be Important for 3D, Says RealD Chief". Variety. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  36. ^ a b Dave, Paresh (August 19, 2015). "Why NASA scientists are excited about Matt Damon film 'The Martian'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  37. ^ "The Martian". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  38. ^ "The Martian reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  39. ^ Peter Debruge (September 11, 2015). "Toronto Film Review: 'The Martian'". Variety. (Penske Media Corporation). Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  40. ^ Henry Barnes (September 11, 2015). "The Martian review - Ridley Scott's playful sci-fi runs out of fuel before reaching home". The Guardian. (Guardian Media Group). Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  41. ^ Lou Lumenick (September 11, 2015). "Matt Damon's 'The Martian' is an unpretentious popcorn classic". New York Post. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  42. ^ a b Ordoña, Michael (August 27, 2015). "Will Matt Damon be our new favorite Martian?". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  43. ^ Cohn, Paulette (August 28, 2015). "The science behind 'The Martian' movie gets a NASA 'thumbs up'". FOX News. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  44. ^ Dorminey, Bruce (August 31, 2015). "Rethinking 'The Martian': Why Dust Storms Wouldn't Sabotage A Real Mars Mission". Forbes. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  45. ^ Reed Tucker (September 26, 2015). "What 'The Martian' gets right — and wrong — about life on Mars". New York Post. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Martian_(film)&oldid=682935911"