The Martian...

I have posted on Facebook several times about the movie "The Martian."  When I finally saved up enough Amazon promotional credits (they recently changed the name of those to "benefits") to purchase a recent movie, I was all set to buy the sequel to "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (I keep forgetting the name of the sequel).  Really, I was just about to click and suddenly I found myself buying "The Martian."  Given that the last three recent sci-fi movies that I was able to stream for free were rather disappointing ("Elysium," "Oblivion," and "Interstellar"), I honestly am not sure why I made the purchase.  But I am glad that I did.

I have watched it at least four times now, but I think it might be closer to six or even eight times.  I cannot remember!  Back in the dark ages, my best friend Becky and I would watch "Independence Day" each time we got together.  It is a movie that didn't get old and that had great one-liners in it that we could speak to each other.  We also sometimes watched "iRobot" or "Minority Report," but "Independence Day" was our go-to movie.

When I first saw "Blind Side," I sat at the end of the movie staring at the TV just thinking. I sat so long that the DVD actually started the movie again.  So, I sat and watched it a second time.  I have the movie, but it is also one that I will stream when it pops up as available.  I like it.

The thing about "The Martian" is that it has the feel of "Apollo 13" although it is fiction.  It is good fiction, realistic fiction, plausible.  It has, to me, a rather engaging sound track that I find myself enjoying each time I watch the movie.  It is dialogue is oft funny.  The plot is oft poignant.  And the movie as a whole is quite interesting.

However, I have wondered if the reason I find it so incredibly re-watchable (I just got the movie on January 8th) is that I do not remember the whole of it each time I watch it.  It has become familiar, but still remains unfamiliar, if that makes sense.  I know that I will be moved. I know that I will laugh. I know that I will be left feeling hopeful.  I know that Mark Watney does not die in the opening scene and I know that he is rescued.  But all the in-between stuff is mostly vague.  When it comes around, I find myself saying, "oh yeah, that's what happened," but I still find myself wondering what comes next and, each time, I find myself holding my breath to see if he makes it from his precarious position in space in the tip of the MAV back to the Hermes.

So, is the movie as great as "Independence Day" or is it that my difficulty remembering makes it a great movie for me but not for others?


P.S.  I had to Google: tom cruise movie about knowing about crime before it happens in order to "remember" the title of the movie Becky and I used to watch a lot.  My rememberer would be much, much, much worse without Google.  Thank you, Google.