The Martian

In the past I have written a couple reviews which are both movie and book reviews. I have enjoyed writing these so much and seen as a few months ago I read one of my favourite stories ever, The Martian by Andy Weir, I knew I just had to do a book/movie review as the movie has recently been released.

The book

First of all, I'll cover the premise of this awesome story- which is naturally the same as the film. Mark Watney is stranded on Mars: no crew; no life around him; a few scary-looking options that may lead to his survival. With his crew carrying on with their mission, believing he is dead, as well as Earth and his parents, The Martian tells the story of how Watney goes about this lonely but awesomely hilarious situation.

At the centre of this story, is of course Watney. He is a character I admire a lot- one I became very invested in. It is a stunning read when you have a character who is in an incredibly tough position whilst remaining mostly positive (we'd forgive him if he didn't!). Of course there are ups and downs but we are guided by Watney's log entries and his incredibly humorous way of capturing what goes on. Through his sarcastic comments and funny outlook, we learn why Watney would have been a great member of the original crew- not doubting his ability to boost moral, considering he made me, as a reader, feel more positive about his situation than I could have alone.

What I love about this novel is that I could go from being very amused to feeling incredibly intense- it's one of the most gripping stories I have ever read. A comment on the back of my version quotes the Guardian, calling the novel "believable" and that is all I thought throughout the whole book.

My only issue is one I gave myself. Originally I don't think I focussed enough with the vocabulary. I made myself confused and felt like I'd alienated myself from the language and general space scene. I spoke to my friend who recommended I read the book and he said he found the book was phrased in a way to make us understand, and so, with this in my mind, I re-read the start and got myself into the flow of space and NASA. I recommend focussing so you are in the flow of the story as soon as possible- although I genuinely think it was my own fault!

I adore this novel and rate it 4.5/5!



The film

I saw The Martian the week it came out in cinema and it has immediately become an all-time favourite.

The film changes very little, and the things it does change, for sure didn't aggravate me in any way. The cast is simply glorious. Matt Damon is so spot on for Mark Watney I just wanted to fist pump the air at the end of the film. He portrays the character's wit and intelligence awesomely. The actors casted for the crew portray the passion, devastation and teamwork beautifully. Those back on Earth portray Mitch's soft side well, Teddy's stern attitude awesomely and Annie's humorous frustration hilariously.

Like in the book, we see the fallout the whole event has back at NASA and America. We see the frustrating troubles NASA faces and the hard work that is put in to help. The film is Guardians of the Galaxy-esque; it's a more believable, human experience of it. I adore this. It's a serious and yet hilarious film; it's tense and it's one I won't ever let go of.

I rate it 4.25/5!

Mars & Earth,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

P.S. I have been posting every day in October which you can read about HERE! Yesterday's post can be found HERE!