Steampunk Granny's Review of The Martian

                                                           

I’m going to say right up front that I believe in the Space Program and I feel strongly that we should be investing in going to other planets instead of destroying the one we live on with wars and unbridled pollution. Now, I’ll tell you why I absolutely loved the Ridley Scott film, The Martian, starring Matt Damon. The film is based on Andy Weir’s 2011 novel of the same name.
                                                               

Growing up in the early fifties, my generation was introduced to the theory of space travel, aliens and the pros and cons of both. We had Flash Gordon to lead the way on our little tiny television screens. You can only imagine my joy when a human first set foot on the moon. That said, with all our science and technology, we land lubbers, who neither travel deep within the ocean or fly high in space shuttles, have no idea what to expect if we were able to go to Mars.

Plot

The action starts when the Ares III, a manned mission on Mars, is hit by an intense storm. Mars is not the friendliest of planets, but then again, neither is Earth. Mark Watney (Matt Damon), a botanist, is separated from the rest of the crew. The Captain Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) and the others fear him dead. They are forced to evacuate the planet before their ship is damaged beyond repair. While they travel the long journey back home, they are unaware that Mark is alive.

Conclusion

I don’t want to say any more about the film, except that it is extremely well done and I really enjoyed it.  You are right there with Mark as he realizes his dilemma; not enough food to survive until another ship can return. We cringe with fear when things are not going well for our astronaut and we celebrate with him when he succeeds. The scenery of Mars and space is breathtaking. The Martian is the first realistic film that shows what it will take to survive on another world.
                                                             

Is it important to support our Space Program? Yes! It’s one thing to send up a probe to take samples of an alien planet’s soil, but we also need to send up a human. Is it unreasonable to expect humans to live on Mars? Maybe...and yet...this is what we, as an intelligent species, must do. We were always meant to leave this planet and find new homes.  Exploration is wired into us. We are engineered to go forth and as explore. Go see the film. You’ll love it.

                                                               

Elysium, Science Fiction for Adults

                                                                

This year, I was fortunate to see two great science fiction movies: Oblivion with Tom Cruise and Elysium starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. It’s about time that we’re getting movies with good acting and story lines from Hollywood.
                                                                       

Elysium

Elysium is a frightening vision of earth’s future in the year 2154. But, it’s a future where the classes are severely divided; almost like what’s happening now; the haves and the have not’s. The rich people of earth have the means to relocate to a space station that includes a large city, suburb and parks. They have no disease because they have the technology to manipulate the genetic make-up of Elysium’s citizens and erase all diseases. I wonder if they have something for age spots; one can only dream. The citizens of Elysium have it easy and life is one big party where the smallest chore is handled by robots.

                                                                  

Jodi Foster (extremely talented actress) plays Jessica Delacourt the head of Elysium's Security. Let me tell you right up front that she’s a real bitch when it comes to keeping the filthy poor from reaching her floating Shangri-La. She cold heartedly blows up any ships filled with desperate immigrants. The poor citizens on Earth only want proper health care (like what’s happening now in this country) but, the filthy rich aren't interested in sharing their technology.
                                                                             

 When the weapons on the floating space colony fail to shoot down an approaching unscheduled ship, Jessica has Kruger, (Sharlto Copley)  a sadistic bastard, finish the job with  ground to air missiles. By the way, Sharlto Copley also starred in District 9 as Wikus Van De Merwe. I'm waiting for the sequel to this movie!

                                                                         

Earth

What do the poor have? Nothing! Earth has been polluted beyond recognition and disease is rampant. The cities and suburbs remind you of the movie, District 9, in which the alien immigrants were forced to live in abject poverty. The hopelessness of the survivors on future earth, hits the viewer like a two by four plank to the face. The viewer is forced to identify with the present day suffering of the poor masses living in India and Africa, and yes, even in this country. If you watched District 9, there is a common thread between the two movies, but I’ll cover this in the conclusion.

                                                                       

 Matt Damon plays Matt, an orphan raised by kindly nuns. Matt gets into lots of trouble but the nuns like him; they think him special. His goal from a young age was to get the chance to live on Elysium. Matt works in a factory that makes the robots for Elysium, but under brutal working conditions. Matt is exposed to dangerous radiation and only has five days to live. His only chance of survival is to get to Elysium.
                                                                              

With the help of a tech savvy smuggler, Spider (Wagner Moura), Matt is fitted with an exoskeleton and must save himself and the daughter of his childhood sweetie. Does he succeed? You need to watch the movie and believe me, you won’t be disappointed.

Conclusion

Neil Blomkamp wrote, co-produced and directed Elysium with the same precision in story telling that he did with District 9. Blomkamp’s stories can stand alone; without the overuse of special effects that I found so disappointing in this year’s Superman. I can identify with Blomkamp's stories, be it alien immigrants or wealthy people content with making money from the crushed and broken bodies of the poor. This is a good movie and there is a message; we may look up and yearn to go to the stars, but Earth is a gem in its own right.