The biggest problem with the majority of Scott's post-Gladiator work has been the scripts: his directorial flair is always apparent, but if the writing isn't where it should be, then there's only so much he can do behind the camera. Most infamously, it's Damon Lindelof's screenplay which caused Scott's last sci-fi outing, Prometheus, to disappoint so many fans in spite of Scott's fantastic direction. Thankfully, The Martian has a one-two punch of talent as far as its story goes: firstly, it's based (rather faithfully, to be sure) on an acclaimed novel from Andy Weir, and is adapted to the screen by Drew Goddard, who has enjoyed significant success writing the likes of Cloverfield, The Cabin in the Woods and World War Z. Chalk up his fourth straight hit here with a screenplay that captures the humanity and heart of Weir's novel, effortlessly translating it to the cinematic medium and giving Scott a project that easily avoids the creative pitfalls of his most recent work. He's been begging for material this great for years, and finally seeing him working from something so worthy is a delight for any Scott fan.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
