Tag: Ridley Scott

The Martian

2015   20th Century Fox

Rated:  PG-13

Length:  2 hr  24min

Adventure ~ Drama ~ Epic ~ Sci-Fi ~ Survival

Directed by:  Ridley Scott

Starring:  Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Donald Glover and Mackenzie Davis.

BRING HIM HOME!

The Martian follows astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon), who is accidentally left behind on Mars after a violent storm forces his crew to abort their mission and evacuate. Believed dead when struck by flying debris, Watney wakes up injured and alone on the hostile red planet with only limited supplies. Determined to survive, he uses his ingenuity as a botanist to grow crops inside the team’s living habitat, known as the Hab. By turning Martian soil and his crew’s waste into usable farmland, and creating water through chemical reactions, he begins to sustain himself while figuring out a way to signal Earth that he is still alive.​

Back on Earth, NASA is stunned to discover images showing Watney’s activity on Mars. Director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) and mission lead Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) scramble to reestablish contact using the old Pathfinder rover, eventually opening a line of communication with Watney. As messages begin to travel between Mars and Earth, NASA faces a monumental challenge, how to rescue him before his limited food and oxygen run out. Scientists and engineers from multiple nations join forces, while the world follows Watney’s struggle in awe and suspense, turning his isolation into a global mission.​

Meanwhile, aboard the Hermes spacecraft, mission commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) and her remaining crew learn that their teammate is alive. Torn between orders to return home and their loyalty to Watney, they secretly conspire to go back for him. Astrophysicist Rich Purnell (Donald Glover) develops a daring “slingshot” plan that would redirect the Hermes back to Mars using Earth’s gravity, saving crucial time but putting the crew at immense risk. Against NASA’s official stance, Lewis and her team decide to take the chance, setting off on an unauthorized rescue mission fueled by courage and friendship.​

As Watney drives his rover across the Martian landscape toward the Ares IV launch site, the tension builds. Using parts scavenged from old missions, he prepares for the last, most dangerous phase, launching himself into orbit with a stripped-down Mars Ascent Vehicle to rendezvous with Hermes. In an intense and emotional climax, Commander Lewis reaches out to catch him in open space, reuniting him with the crew in one final, breathtaking rescue. Against impossible odds, Mark Watney’s determination and human resilience triumph, making his story one of survival, science, and hope.

Matt Damon’s performance anchors the film and is frequently hailed as one of his best. Carrying most of the runtime alone, Damon portrays Watney with a mix of frustration, charm, and vulnerability that keeps the viewer invested. His humor becomes a survival tool, softening the loneliness and tension of Mars’s desolation. Damon’s ability to blend wit with emotional depth makes Watney feel like a real person, an explorer confronting fear with intellect and stubborn optimism. Critics note that Ridley Scott gives Damon the cinematic space to let audiences truly connect with Watney’s struggle and triumph.​

Visually, the movie is breathtaking. Scott’s decision to shoot in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan lends authenticity to the Martian landscape, while Dariusz Wolski’s cinematography captures the vast emptiness of space without losing the intimacy of human emotion. The production’s technical precision extends from set design to space flight realism, creating one of the most scientifically credible sci-fi films of the decade. The music, featuring a mix of Harry Gregson-Williams’s introspective score and Watney’s tongue-in-cheek disco playlist, lightens the mood and grounds the story in personality rather than spectacle.

Ridley Scott’s The Martian is a brilliant reminder why he’s one of sci-fi’s all-time greats, a director who can take you from the shadowy, rain-soaked alleys of Blade Runner to the dusty, lonely surface of Mars without missing a beat. If Blade Runner was Scott’s moody, philosophical masterpiece about what it means to be human, The Martian flips the script with a smart, hopeful survival story that celebrates human ingenuity and grit. Both films boast unforgettable worlds,  the futuristic cityscape in one, the stark Martian horizon in the other, showcasing Scott’s knack for creating settings as powerful as the characters. Watching The Martian feels like catching up with an old friend who’s just as comfortable making you think deeply as making you root for a guy growing potatoes on the red planet.

I don’t remember seeing this movie before but I saw it was on Netflix and decided to give it a go. How could you go wrong with Ridley Scott, Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Donald Glover and Mackenzie Davis. It does not disappoint, the 2 hours and 24 minute runtime went by super quick. It is a really good movie, one I highly recommend if you haven’t seen it. And if you have, watch it again, well worth a repeat viewing.

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and Stream This Movie!

Currently on NETFLIX.

Echo Valley

2025   Apple TV+

Rated:  R

Length:  I hr  44min

Drama ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Michael Pearce

Starring:  Julianne Moore, Sydney Sweeney, Domhnall Gleeson, Kyle MacLachlan, Edmund Donovan and Fiona Shaw.

How Far Will A Mother Go To Save Her Child?

Julianne Moore stars as Kate Garrettson who owns a horse farm in rural Pennsylvania. She trains horses, gives riding lessons and manages the farm by herself. Kate is dealing with the death of her wife, a divorce from the father of her daughter and her daughter who has serious difficulty dealing with life. Struggling to maintain her sanity and the farm she notices the hay barn has developed some serious roof issues. The contractor who does work for her tells her it is going to cost $9,000 to fix. Knowing she can’t afford to pay that, she reluctantly goes to see her Lawyer Ex-Husband Richard Garrettson (Kyle MacLachlan). Richard lives with his much younger Wife and young daughter in a very nice house. He chastises Kate for not making the farm profitable and tells her that their daughter Claire (Sydney Sweeney) showed up on his doorstep last week begging for money and that their daughter is a complete mess. Richard tells her that she is enabling Claire and something needs to be done, she needs professional help. Reluctantly he writes a $9,000 check and gives it to Kate.

Several days later Claire shows up at the ranch and tells her mother that she is in trouble and needs help. Kate lets her stay and later Claire’s boyfriend Ryan Sinclair (Edmund Donovan ) shows up and causes a scene. He tells Kate that Claire threw all his belongings in the river and there was $10,000 worth of drugs in his duffel bag that belonged to someone else. Frantic he wants Claire to help him find it or his life may be in jeopardy. The next day Jackie Lawson (Domhnall Gleeson) shows up with Ryan and starts harassing Claire, threatening her and then starts getting physical punching Ryan and grabbing Claire. He demands that they give him his $10,000 worth of drugs or the money. Kate hears the commotion and comes running, confronting Ryan and telling him to get off her property. Kate succeeds but with Ryan promising that he will be back and that until he gets the drugs or the money, there will be nothing but trouble.

And that is the beginning of the twisted tale that evolves as Kate grapples with her daughter’s new trouble. Nothing is as it seems moving forward. There are more plot twists than a braided pretzel, more than the Snake River. And at every turn of the trail, just when you think you have got it all figured out, you realize that we are all getting played. Every character, everyone watching the movie, you just can’t see what’s coming until you realize that the tables have been turned on us all, even the characters in the movie. It is a fantastic thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Who did what? To who? Or did they? And how far will Kate go to protect her daughter and keep her out of trouble? Kate just got a $9,000 check from Richard, should she use it to pay off the drug dealer Jackie? And will that be the end of it? I am here to tell you that she might and if she does it might just be the beginning of a very thrilling ride wondering what happens next!

I though this was a great movie. Julianne Moore does not disappoint in her role as Kate who will go to great lengths to take care of her daughter. Sydney Sweeney is lovable and yet thoroughly spoiled as Claire, strung out on drugs and her junkie boyfriend, and at times you just want to slap the devil out of her. Domhnall Gleeson is absolutely twisted as Jackie Lawson, you want to hate him he is so good at being evil. I have to say that Julianne Moore shines as the mom who will do anything to help her daughter. And smarter than the fox in the henhouse while keeping a straight poker face. Well Done, I say. Should you watch it? If you like Julianne Moore, A Good Thriller, Domhnall Geeson and or Sydney Sweeney….Yes, you should.

Grab a beverage

Make some popcorn

and Stream This Movie

On Apple TV+!

Echo Valley Movie Coming To Apple TV+ Friday June 13, 2025

In the edge-of-your-seat thriller “Echo Valley,” Kate (Oscar winner Julianne Moore) is a mother struggling to make peace with her troubled daughter Claire (multi-Emmy nominee Sydney Sweeney) — a situation that becomes even more perilous when Claire shows up on Kate’s doorstep, hysterical and covered in someone else’s blood. As Kate pieces together the shocking truth of what happened, she learns just how far a mother will go to try to save her child in this gripping tale of love, sacrifice and survival from BAFTA-winning director Michael Pearce and Emmy-nominated writer Brad Ingelsby.

Starring Julianne Moore, Sydney Sweeney, Domhnall Gleeson, Fiona Shaw, Edmund Donovan, Albert Jones, Kyle MacLachlan
Directed By Michael Pearce
Produced By Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss, Kevin J. Walsh, Brad Ingelsby
Executive Produced By Ted Deiker, Scott Greenberg, Erika Olde, Sam Roseme, Nicole Jordan-Webber, Rebecca Feuer

Gladiator II

2024   Paramount Pictures

Rated:  R

Length:  2 hr  28min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Drama ~ Epic ~ History

Directed by:  Ridley Scott

Starring:  Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington.

“The gates of hell are open night and day, smooth the descent and easy is the way.”

Gladiator II starts out with animated painted scenes of Gladiator, like a mini recap of the first movie. The story begins:

16 YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF MARCUS AURELIUS,

HIS “DREAM OF ROME” HAS BEEN FORGOTTEN.

UNDER THE TYRANNY OF TWIN EMPORERS

GETA AND CARACALLA, CORRUPTION FLOURISHES.

THEIR RUTHLESS AGGRESSION SPREADS LIKE A PLAGUE

THROUGHOUT THE EMPIRE.

THE FALL OF THE CITY IS IMMINENT.

ONLY THE HOPES OF THOSE WHO STILL DARE TO DREAM REMAIN…

NUMIDIA 200 AD: The Roman forces are approaching from the sea, led by General Acacius (Pedro Pascal). The Kingdom prepares for battle, Hanno (Paul Mescal) and his wife Arishat suit up and take their places along the fortress walls. The roman ships approach the fortress walls and breach the hold, eventually conquering the Numidia Kingdom. Arishat, Hanno’s wife is killed and Hanno and the other male survivors are taken as slaves. They are taken to the Port of Rome where they are forced into the arena to fight large Baboons with long fangs.  Hanno survives by savagely killing the baboons and is closely watched by…….

Macrinus (Denzel Washington) who has a stable of Gladiators and is always looking for the “One”. Macrinus has an ambition to de-throne the twins and become Emperor himself. Macrinus recruits Hanno to fight for him and tells him that if he wins enough fights for him, he will get Hanno close enough to General Acacius to exact his revenge for his wife’s death. Just like Maximus in the first movie, Acacius returns to Rome a hero and the twin Emperors call for games in the Coliseum to honor the General’s victory. The General re-unites with his wife Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and hatches a plan with Lucilla and the Senators to overthrow the twin Emperors.

And the journey to dethrone the Emperors is on, Macrinus on one side and General Acacius, Lucilla and the Senators on the other. Hanno, we find out later, has another name and ties to Lucilla and Maximus. He fights in the Coliseum for his freedom and a chance to kill General Acacius under the guidance of Macrinus. There are a lot of plots at play here and you have to pay close attention to who is doing what for which aim. It is truly an Epic film, from the very first battle scene to the games in the coliseum, it is grandiose in spectacle.

Is it better than the original? I don’t think you can touch the original with Russell Crowe, it is a classic. 25 years later this movie follows the storyline 16 years after Gladiator ends, without Russell Crowe, obviously. But I think it stands on it’s own. The plot is very similar to the first, just with different characters it seems. It is supposedly based on true Roman history but I’ll just take their word for that. I liked it but I don’t think the storyline was as good as the first. But I did enjoy the ride, it is a spectacle to watch, grandiose even. The Coliseum fight scenes were way more intense and graphic, but then CGI and technology has evolved a lot in the last twenty five years.

I would recommend going back and watching Gladiator first before you watch Gladiator II. The storyline will make more sense.

Two Thumbs Up!

Napoleon

2023   Apple TV+

Rated :  R

Length:  2 hr  38min

Action ~ Biography ~ Drama ~ Epic ~ History ~ War

Directed by:  Ridley Scott

Starring:  Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby.

“People are driven by misery to revolution…..and brought back by revolution to misery.”

Joaquin Phoenix stars as Napoleon Bonaparte, the future Emperor of France. As the movie opens in 1793 amidst the French Revolution, Army officer Napoleon is watching the beheading of Marie Antoinette by the guillotine. He is soon offered the role of dealing with the British siege and driving the British ships out of the city’s Harbor. Being a skilled Army Officer with an astute knowledge of how to defeat and overcome the enemy, he studies the British and lays out a plan that succeeds. He is later charged with proving himself by being tasked with squashing the Royalists uprising. During the following celebrations of freedom after his success, a woman catches his eye and he can’t quit staring…………

Josephine De Beauharnais (Vanessa Kirby) approaches him and asks him why he is staring. That is the beginning of their life-long romance story. She is an Aristocratic widow with two children and it is not long before Napoleon and Josephine are married. Napoleon quickly rises up the ranks of the new French Government and is put in charge of the Army and France’s new security in the world. Eventually Napoleon and fellow collaborators overthrow the new French Government disagreeing with their leadership and handling of France. Napoleon quickly rises up to become the Emperor of France.

All the while he is off fighting for France, he pines for Josephine and their tumultuous relationship and marriage, neither being faithful yet loving and missing each other. Josephine’s affairs draw attention from the press of the day and Napoleon is constantly ridiculed for his promiscuous wife. Adding to their troubles is her attempts at getting pregnant and not producing an heir for the throne of France. Eventually under the pressure of producing an heir Napoleon is forced to publicly divorce Josephine and marry a y0unger woman who can produce a son for the throne.

It is a mighty epic of a film chronicling:

  • The History of France from the time at the end of the French revolution in 1793 through the final exile of Napoleon in 1815 to the island of Saint Helena off of Africa.
  • The main historic battles that Napoleon led and fought during his lifetime.
  • The tumultuous and lifelong relationship and love between Napoleon and Josephine up until both of their deaths.

It is fairly long at 2 hours and 38 minutes but it passed very quickly for me as I became very engrossed in the story and the movie. The directors cut is three hours and 24 minutes. I almost wish I had watched it instead. Director Ridley Scott says that it better fleshes out the movie compared to the theatrical version. It is well shot, the battle scenes are very realistic, like you were back in those times sitting right in the middle of it all watching the fighting all around you. The costumes and scenery were well designed, again you feel like you were transported back to that time sitting right in the middle of history, observing.

Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby did an excellent job of portraying Napoleon and Josephine, I thought they were perfect. And Joaquin as the shrewd military man outwitting his opponents was a wonder to watch. I really liked the Battle of Austerlitz scene where Napoleon dresses as a peasant to survey the surroundings and the enemy forces. He comes up with this brilliant plan and sets up camp at the edge of a frozen lake. Recently covered with snow it is hidden. He lures the enemy forces in and then broadsides them on both sides, forcing them onto the frozen lake as the only means out. Once he has them trapped on the ice he bombards the ice and they are all doomed to a frozen eternity.

I thought it was really good, an excellent very Epic Historic and Biographical War drama. I think Ridley Scott outdid himself with this Epic Portrayal.

Highly Recommended!

Two Thumbs up!