The Martian

Last Sunday I checked an item off of my bucket list.  You could say that it was a “first” for me, since until now, there was only one McMenamin’s location in Washington that includes a theater.  That location is in Centralia and is way too far away for this writer to attend on a regular basis.  Fortunately, the new W.A. Anderson School has opened in Bothell, a mere 15 minutes away, and is doing a brisk business.  The film being shown is The Martian starring Matt Damon, Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain, Chitewel Ejiofor, Kristen Wiig, and is the main subject of this review. 

First of all, I’d like to say that I don’t think there’s another actor I would have considered, had I been the one casting the part of Marc Watney, the astronaut who has to figure out how to survive on a uninhabited planet until/or if help arrives.  It’s a little bit MacGuyver in Space, Botany 101, and how to think quickly in very high stress situations.  Everybody sticks their neck out, their job on the line, and we, as human beings and Americans, could learn a thing or two from this film/book about cooperation, teamwork, and finding the good in any situation.  Not now, but in the future, there is definitely a plan in place to get out of “Dodge” and head to Mars.  It might be good to use this film as a training guide on how to prepare for a worst case scenario or several worst case scenario(s).  The author of the book, Andy Weir, must have been an Eagle Scout or a survivalist, or something akin to this and I also think the book is definitely in my future read list.  Rating:  roll of duct tape, a parachute, a crucifix, a few disco downloads, and potatoes….a lot of potatoes aka 4 stars.  To the moon, Alice, but in this case to Mars.