Review: “The Martian” by Andy Weir – Ridley Scott (Matt Damon)

PODCAST:

Listen to the podcast here (click to play/right click and select “save target as” to download):

S2E10 – The Martian*

WRITTEN BOOK REVIEWS:

Ryan: 4 Stars “…140 million leagues under the blackness of space, Jules Verne is reborn…this time with a sense of humor and irreverent references to pop culture…”

Wilk: 4 Stars “…Excellent book, excellent movie. Solving unsolvable problems with a blend of humor and a lot of profanity…”

Rick: 4 Stars “…This is the Mars epic of our time. Does not shy away from geeky nuts and bolts – actually strident in the manner it describes a smorgasbord of science and engineering...”

Daniel Gonzalez (Guest): 4 Stars “…An inspiring tale by Andy Weir of man’s ability to look inward to our own intellect and reason in our quest to reach beyond the confines of this pale blue dot…”

(Click the links to read full written reviews on Goodreads.com)

 

SUBJECT MATTER:

Book: “The Martian” by Andy Weir

“Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?” (from Amazon.com)

*** * ***

Film: “The Martian” by Ridley Scott (Matt Damon)

“During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney’s safe return. Based on a best-selling novel, and helmed by master director Ridley Scott, THE MARTIAN features a star studded cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover.” (from foxmovies.com)

 

 

SHOW NOTES:

On the show, Ryan, mentioned that there were differences in the final scenes between the book and the movie. This was shouted down as incorrect by other members of the podcast. However, Ryan (me), was right! Proof can be found in the article  “The Biggest Differences Between The Martian Movie and Novel” by Kyle Hill which can be found (but be warned as it contains SPOILERS) at: http://nerdist.com/all-the-big-changes-between-the-martian-movie-and-novel/.

Also in the episode guest contributor and musician/artist, Daniel Gonzalez, mentioned his band “Beautiful and the Just” which you can listen to on soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/beautifulandthejust.

 

FUN FACTOIDS:

On the Show we mentioned the b-movie classic “Ice Pirates” which featured a memorable cast including Ron Perlman (who many years later became Hellboy). This 1984 scifi release featured the gruesome creature known as a “Space Herpe” which can be seen in all its glory below:

 

Wilk mentioned on the show that the actor Sean Bean dies in practically every movie he is in. In fact, there is a death reel on YouTube that details this (Yes, of course the internet celebrates death). Check it out – but it is rife with spoilers:

 

 

 

* DISCLAIMER: Please be advised that the views and opinions of the hosts and guests of NDIOS are completely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and beliefs of the other hosts and guests or that of NDIOS.