Ridley Scott's The Martian is an amiable mediocrity. Scott handles marooned astronaut Matt Damon's exploits on the red planet briskly and well, but crashes amidst NASA's bureaucratic infighting on terra firma. Damon is charming, but the script has him in contact with NASA far too early in the game. Hanks' hysteria is more affecting in Cast Away because he is more isolated.
I think Shawn Levy, the critic not the director of Free Guy, has Ridley Scott pegged about right as a present day Michael Curtiz: an excellent craftsman, but a second rate artist. I was watching Thelma and Louise the other night and found it still moving, but for every first rate Ridley Scott movie there are more than an equal number of duds like Legend, GI Jane or Robin Hood. Due to its genial handling on the material, The Martian was a hit, but it is not one of Scott's better movies. (3/7/16)
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