The Martian - Big changes that brough Mark Watney's story to life on the big screen

Some people probably dream of being able to walk on Mars, but what if their dream came true only to then turn into a nightmare as they become stuck and alone on the Red Planet? This is exactly what happens in the new movie, “The Martian” starring Matt Damon.

Although it marks Damon’s triumphant return to big, life-altering blockbusters, “The Martian” isn’t an original concept but rather the adaptation of the best-selling futuristic sci-fi novel of the same name, written by Andy Weir, which recounts the story of an astronaut whose mission leads him to be alone in Mars with no hope to return to earth and how he manages to survive until he can be rescued.

The premise is compelling enough, but as with many book adaptations, one has to wonder whether “The Martian” movie stays true to its inspiration and how the two compare.

Overall, while one must always keep in mind that great books do not always translate to equally good movies if adapted integrally, it is quite easy to tell that Ridley Scott’s “The Martian” is not one of such cases. it was generally kept faithful to the book’s main plot, tone – which is full of humor in spite of the epic story it tells – and science – even if Ridley is the first to admit that it was the most challenging aspect in bringing the original book to life on the silver screen. That does not mean, however, that there aren’t any differences between “The Martian” book and movie.

One of such big differences is that while our main character, 'the martian' himself, tells his story through written logs in the book, he shares his thoughts in a series of video recordings in the film version. This is certainly different, but it’s also a necessary change made to accommodate the visual nature of movies.

The visual aspect also seems to change the focus of the movie. While the book is pretty much the diary of a man stranded on Mars for most of its narrative, Matt Damon’s version of Mark Watney has to share the screen with other players outside of the Red Planet, like NASA and his mission’s original team, a change which adds a new, informative and enlightening perspective to his tale. And then there is the Red Planet itself, which is an attention-grabber in its own right.

While most of the scientific aspects were brought to life with the help of real-life NASA, the stunning scenes of the Red Planet are actually a work of nature more than any special effects, as the exteriors were filmed at Wadi Rum, a valley cut in the sandstone located in the south of Jordan and which became the Red Planet through Scott and his team’s effort to bring a “sense of place” into a story where imagery had originally been sacrificed in favor of action.

And that is the final major difference between “The Martian” book and its movie counterpart – Mark Watney’s training and abilities are certainly less challenged in the movie than they are in Andy Weir’s book, which is often dubbed as a “manual for survival in Mars”. That does not mean, however, that the movie is any less entertaining, suspenseful or fast-paced. It just means that viewers have more time to digest each of his feat’s and enjoy the view, which they certainly seem to, if box office numbers are any indication.