Facts have proved that a "big meal" composed of classic elements may also become a "chaotic stew" accidentally.
The story begins with a scene similar to "Gravity" where the astronauts work together, and the hip-hop laugh and the disaster that follows are typical of Hollywood's beginnings. The next Martian storm is reminiscent of the sandstorms and tsunamis in "Interstellar". After the storm, the protagonist changed into "Robinson" in seconds, and dealt with various crisis scenarios calmly and abnormally. His mental strength was like a titanium alloy steel plate. Switching to the Earth and the Hermes from time to time, the audience almost forgot that the film still has bits and pieces of human concern.
When there is a human choice of "five to save one", even if it is not to pay tribute to the classics, it is necessary to show a dramatic inner drama - after all, Matt Damon also plays the rescued "Salvation". Private Ryan, it is through the conflict and struggle of values that clarifies the meaning of life and completes the establishment of beliefs. It is a pity that "The Martian" treats the places that should have been rich and colorful in a simple and rude manner, supplemented by a cheap happy ending and the cliché of "people all over the world" - a possible wave after another , just like this in the mediocre interpretation.
This makes people wonder, how could Ridley Scott, who has always been good at pushing the limits of movie viewing, be stunned by the word "mediocre"?
Since the advent of "2001: A Space Odyssey", Kubrick's art of sci-fi movies has been a model for future generations. The profound sense of loneliness in "The Moon", the crisis and resolution in "Gravity", and the humanistic construction of the grand cosmic framework in "Interstellar" can all be seen as intrinsically related to the classics of predecessors. In the face of the vast universe, the deep sense of loneliness in the human heart, the psychological depression that hangs on the line, the pioneering spirit of the unknown world and the courage to take risks... Under extreme circumstances, the beauty and ugliness, distortion and conflict of human nature will be magnified , focus, and great tension. At the moment when popcorn blockbusters are raging on the screen, it is these classic elements that flash from time to time, adhering to the humanistic bottom line of science fiction film art. What’s puzzling is that The Martian seems to do the exact opposite, stripping away all the human struggle and reflection space that science fiction elements may give. The whole film is like a hollow steel pipe. When you look to the end, the description of the horror of deep space and the inner drama of the characters are almost cut to zero, except for the optimism and popular science monologue of the protagonist. It's just that optimistic "it's not that you want to buy, you can buy it if you want", and the sudden "positive energy + good luck" seems too inexplicable after all.
In the final analysis, apart from the splicing of typical Hollywood scenes, "The Martian" does not create new surprises outside the existing sci-fi movie pedigree. Even from the perspective of a genre film, the unfamiliar plot, the lack of artistry in the lens and even the lack of feelings have dragged the film into the stereotype of mediocrity. The commercial gimmicks are full, and in the end it is exchanged for a lack of goodness in art.
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