I thought it was pretty good too. Just a couple of niggles. 1) All zero-G scenes should be shot in the vomit commit (see Apollo 13 https://youtu.be/SdgELXIeY3I) it just looks infinitely better. 2) I didn't think the Martian atmosphere was thick enough to exert that much force during the storms?
Oliver Hamilton #2 in particular. Even Andy Weir admits that, if he could rewrite the novel, he would have made lightning the true danger that took Watney out, not wind.
Rhys Taylor yes, the author has admitted that the sandstorm was a mistake. But my take is that if the storm is the worst gaff made in the novel and movie, then both are more scientifically accurate than 99.9% of the other media science fiction out there.
For me, the theme of the movie is summed up in one line by the mission commander when Johanssen starts to freak out. She cooly tells Johanssen "Keep it together, work the problem"
The protagonist managed to save themselves by breaking the huge main problem into sub-problems then using mathematics and science to tackle each sub-problem. Not by going all Joe Testosterone and raging.
Matt Damon just has to be stopped. He has cost taxpayers billions of dollars. Just look at the expense in Saving Private Ryan., and now, this fiscal fiasco!
There was no part of the movie that had me ever thinking, "this is just ridiculous, that would never happen." It all felt believable (well, except maybe how he gets to the Hermes at the end, but by that point it's more than earned a pass). Sure, apart from the sandstorm I could probably come up with a few quibbles, but that's all they would be.
In terms of storytelling it's a master class in "don't bite off more than you can chew". The result is the most realistic space film since Apollo 13.
Also, the Hermes is a thing of beauty. Just thought I'd mention that.
Rhys Taylor the Hermes is a thing of beauty, but it did raise my eyebrow. [1] It reduces its required delta V by using aerobraking. But I do not see any heat shields or 2010-esque ballutes. [2] If it has an onboard nuclear reactor to power the drive, why does it need zillions of square meters of solar cell arrays?
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But they both had Matt Damon as main actor. There is no way to escape him if you like SF movies :-(
ReplyDeleteI thought it was pretty good too. Just a couple of niggles.
ReplyDelete1) All zero-G scenes should be shot in the vomit commit (see Apollo 13 https://youtu.be/SdgELXIeY3I) it just looks infinitely better.
2) I didn't think the Martian atmosphere was thick enough to exert that much force during the storms?
Alas, the sandstorm scene is completely and utterly impossible.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.space.com/30663-the-martian-dust-storms-a-breeze.html
Rhys Taylor the Curiosity rover must have experienced a few storms?
ReplyDeleteRhys Taylor ha I thought that too. What the hell drives that sandstorm?
ReplyDeleteBut they do have global, planetary dust storms which encircle the whole planet on Mars says the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory , see
ReplyDeletehttp://marsmobile.jpl.nasa.gov/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=1854
Oliver Hamilton #2 in particular. Even Andy Weir admits that, if he could rewrite the novel, he would have made lightning the true danger that took Watney out, not wind.
ReplyDeleteAnd the key is that Mars has dust storms, not sand storms. It's a matter of the size of the grains.
ReplyDeleteRhys Taylor yes, the author has admitted that the sandstorm was a mistake.
ReplyDeleteBut my take is that if the storm is the worst gaff made in the novel and movie, then both are more scientifically accurate than 99.9% of the other media science fiction out there.
For me, the theme of the movie is summed up in one line by the mission commander when Johanssen starts to freak out. She cooly tells Johanssen "Keep it together, work the problem"
ReplyDeleteThe protagonist managed to save themselves by breaking the huge main problem into sub-problems then using mathematics and science to tackle each sub-problem. Not by going all Joe Testosterone and raging.
Matt Damon just has to be stopped. He has cost taxpayers billions of dollars. Just look at the expense in Saving Private Ryan., and now, this fiscal fiasco!
ReplyDeleteThere was no part of the movie that had me ever thinking, "this is just ridiculous, that would never happen." It all felt believable (well, except maybe how he gets to the Hermes at the end, but by that point it's more than earned a pass). Sure, apart from the sandstorm I could probably come up with a few quibbles, but that's all they would be.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of storytelling it's a master class in "don't bite off more than you can chew". The result is the most realistic space film since Apollo 13.
Also, the Hermes is a thing of beauty. Just thought I'd mention that.
Rhys Taylor the Hermes is a thing of beauty, but it did raise my eyebrow.
ReplyDelete[1] It reduces its required delta V by using aerobraking. But I do not see any heat shields or 2010-esque ballutes.
[2] If it has an onboard nuclear reactor to power the drive, why does it need zillions of square meters of solar cell arrays?
http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/realdesigns.php#id--Hermes_from_The_Martian
(scroll down to "movie version")