‘The Martian’ Review Roundup: Ridley Scott’s Mars Flick Earns Glowing Reviews

by Chelsea ReganOctober 2, 2015, 6:50 pmNews >

The Martian, starring Matt Damon, is opening in theaters this weekend to overwhelmingly positive reviews from film’s top critics.

‘The Martian’ Reviews

In Ridley Scott‘s The Martian, Damon plays U.S. astronaut Mark Watney, who heads off on a mission to Mars. After a severe storm separates him from his crew, it’s believed that he’s died in space. Alive and alone on the hostile red planet, Watney is forced to rely upon his smarts, sense of humor and perseverance to let NASA know he’s not yet dead. Once he makes contact, Watney is still tasked with surviving the harsh elements of inhabitable Mars as a crew of his colleagues take a risky trip to try and save him.

The Martian has been received positively by critics, who have only good things to say about Scott’s direction and Damon’s acting as the charismatic astronaut. Based on the best-selling novel by Andy Weir, sci-fi flick The Martian is praised for its ability to make the human element just as vital to the story as the futurist space travel.

“Cynical as I am about how monster-budget blockbusters have come to dominate the studio mind-set, I can’t imagine anyone not liking this one.The Martian is shot, designed, computer-generated, and scripted on a level that makes most films of its ilk look slipshod. Scott and writer Drew Goddard aren’t trying to make an “important” sci-fi movie likeInterstellar. They aim lower but blow past their marks.” – David Edelstein, Vulture

“Knowing the premise won’t prepare you for the remarkable variety and complexity of this sci-fi extravaganza, which Ridley Scott, back in top form, directed from Drew Goddard’s exuberant adaptation of the Andy Weir novel. Yes, survival is the basic subject, but “The Martian” is also about the power of personality; the pleasures of a great performance; the seductions of suspense (will the accidental E.T. find a way to call home?); the delights of a detective story; and the glories of the movie medium.” – Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal

“Give Ridley Scott a great story and even the sky is no limit. And The Martian isn’t just an excellent yarn. It’s one of the year’s best movies and widescreen 3D experiences, a crackerjack adventure that celebrates human ingenuity over mechanical contrivance. […] I call The Martian “real-fi” rather than “sci-fi,” because it’s so down-to-Earth in its realism, both on this blue planet and the distant red one. More than anything, though, it’s just a great time at the movies.” – Peter Howell, Toronto Star

“The Martian,” a survival story about an astronaut stranded on the red planet, is by far the most inspiring entry in the 77-year-old director’s ample catalog. It’s a big-hearted mash note to science nerds, optimism, grit and guts. With wonderful dramatic pacing, acting, subject matter, Abba soundtrack anthems and “Lord of the Rings” jokes, “The Martian” is a clever feel-good movie on an epic scale.A big crowd pleaser needs a central character to root for, and this one has an irreverent winner in charismatic Matt Damon.” – Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

The Martian, which stars Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kisten Wiig, Kate Mara and Michael Peña, is currently in wide release.