Jump to content

The Martian by Andy Weir

sp1989

By sp1989
in The Lounge

 Share

What did you think of the movie?  

117 members have voted

  1. 1. What did you think of the movie?

    • Out of this world 10 out of 10
      38
    • Really, Really Good
      63
    • It was an ok movie
      18
    • I really did't like it that much
      1
    • I absolutely hated it
      0

Recommended Posts

tater

tater

Posted
Posted (edited)
I'm sorry, but you are hyperbolizing what you are saying DRASTICALLY by comparing Interstellar's physics to that of Star Wars.

Have you ever seen Star Wars ships dock realistically, have an RCS system, not-turn like fighter jets?

Tiny SSTOs are every bit as silly as SW.

Having a couple thruster puffs doesn't correct this.

What is unique about Interstellar is the amount of research they did, especially in the field of relativity and warped space time.

Apparently you never read into it, and are basing your judgements of it's accuracy on your own biased assumptions.

Either you are too narrow minded, or you simply didn't pay any attention to the movie whatsoever.

Apparently you never studied astrophysics. I was appalled by it in real time as I watched. They treated the GR effects at the planet as if there was not a gradient, and approaching that world would not have continuously exposed them to dilation. They also entirely ignored the fact that as they approach the Schwarzschild of their black hole, this effect goes to infinity. So merely approaching the hole (let alone what they did, which is to go through it---twice) effectively makes them stop, while the universe races ahead to time=infinity. That's aside from the fact that, even assuming that Miller's planet wasn't just shredded by tidal forces by exactly placing in the right spot outside the Roche limit, it would be bathed in hard radiation. Not slightly elevated, like "instantly dead" levels. They should have never checked it out, and not bothered wasting time going there. Also, it's gotta be moving fast enough that the main ship having enough dv to transfer to it seems pretty dubious. It's really absurd. It would have been easy to get the same desired plot elements (time mattering) with nothing more than limited dv, and widespread planets (perhaps a binary system). Then make the FTL an artifact, not a black hole, so they can hand wave whatever they like.

For Hollywood, it set a very high bar, because apparently you've never seen any other Hollywood space movie attempt. There will always be the good trio- Gravity, Interstellar and The Martian.

If you think Interstellar is realistic, you have a weak list. Gravity has plenty of issues as well. 2010 is arguably a better movie in many ways than 2001 (the ending of the latter was terrible for someone unfamiliar with the short story, or later book). It's all a matter of what you are willing to ignore. To like Interstellar, and particularly to think it is realistic in any way, you have to know basically nothing about spaceflight or black holes. To like Gravity, you need to not understand orbital mechanics (and possibly like Sandra Bullock in yoga shorts, which I'll admit is a mitigating factor ;) ). I don't yet have an opinion on the Martian, but we'll all have to suspend belief on the storm (in the book and in the movie), and certainly on the choice of landing location in the movie. Past that I can't say yet, though I'm certainly going to see it.

Edited by tater
Link to comment
Share on other sites
sp1989

sp1989

Posted
  • Author
Posted
It is funny how that article says they are using big words, but it sounds like just another week day on this forum. Also, SPOILER!

..kinda. If you haven't read the book, that is a very spoilerrific scene.

Ehh kinda of if you read the book. But it looks and ends with Jeff Daniels dismissing him. So he looks foolish. A spoiler would be the "Rich Purnell is a steely eyed missle man!" part

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SpaceXray

SpaceXray

Posted
Posted (edited)
Tiny SSTOs are every bit as silly as SW.

Having a couple thruster puffs doesn't correct this.

Apparently you never studied astrophysics. I was appalled by it in real time as I watched. They treated the GR effects at the planet as if there was not a gradient, and approaching that world would not have continuously exposed them to dilation. They also entirely ignored the fact that as they approach the Schwarzschild of their black hole, this effect goes to infinity. So merely approaching the hole (let alone what they did, which is to go through it---twice) effectively makes them stop, while the universe races ahead to time=infinity. That's aside from the fact that, even assuming that Miller's planet wasn't just shredded by tidal forces by exactly placing in the right spot outside the Roche limit, it would be bathed in hard radiation. Not slightly elevated, like "instantly dead" levels. They should have never checked it out, and not bothered wasting time going there. Also, it's gotta be moving fast enough that the main ship having enough dv to transfer to it seems pretty dubious. It's really absurd. It would have been easy to get the same desired plot elements (time mattering) with nothing more than limited dv, and widespread planets (perhaps a binary system). Then make the FTL an artifact, not a black hole, so they can hand wave whatever they like.

If you think Interstellar is realistic, you have a weak list. Gravity has plenty of issues as well. 2010 is arguably a better movie in many ways than 2001 (the ending of the latter was terrible for someone unfamiliar with the short story, or later book). It's all a matter of what you are willing to ignore. To like Interstellar, and particularly to think it is realistic in any way, you have to know basically nothing about spaceflight or black holes. To like Gravity, you need to not understand orbital mechanics (and possibly like Sandra Bullock in yoga shorts, which I'll admit is a mitigating factor ;) ). I don't yet have an opinion on the Martian, but we'll all have to suspend belief on the storm (in the book and in the movie), and certainly on the choice of landing location in the movie. Past that I can't say yet, though I'm certainly going to see it.

Just when did they do anything of the above mentioned?

And no, I simply kept my list short. I have seen 2010, and Europa Report and all the other movies of such, and while 2010 certainly had realistic physics, Interstellar takes them to a stellar level. We're not talking about airbraking in gas giants' atmosphere's and assisted gravity escape maneuvers, we are talking flying to Saturn with plasma engines powered by compact tokomaks with a ship built over many years through many launches, doing a gravity assist using Mars and going through a realistic wormhole(first time ever in a movie) and arriving in another system with a black hole and a neutron star, doing complex landing maneuvers, using multiple craft to accelerate one big one while getting a gravity assist from a black hole by flying at crazy speed close to its event horizon. Show me a movie that did all that in less than 3 hours of screen time.

Did you really expect them to waste time on explaining every gritty maneuver and every single flight with an SSTO?

And no, they didn't treat the time dilation as a non-gradient. It was always there, they just didn't want to confuse the audience by announcing the time dilation factor every 2 minutes as they sped up or slowed down.

And no, 2001 is better than 2010 because 2001 actually made you think and had a much deeper meaning, and itself set a new standard for sci-fi movies.

Stop going on about maneuvers they never did and "impossible" flights. Admit that SSTO's aren't silly, you are simply living mentally in the 20th century filled with wasteful rockets. Interstellar takes place in the 2050s-60s.

Edited by SpaceXray
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dodgey

Dodgey

Posted
Posted

Guys comeon get a thread already!

I was actually hoping that it would be an ad featuring The Martian not just a quick cameo. Oh well.

That new clip is really tempting but i must remain strong! I did it with Into Darkness I can do it with this!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SpaceXray

SpaceXray

Posted
Posted
Guys comeon get a thread already!

I was actually hoping that it would be an ad featuring The Martian not just a quick cameo. Oh well.

That new clip is really tempting but i must remain strong! I did it with Into Darkness I can do it with this!

Maybe it's just me, or Apple really likes space for some reason(teasing The Martian, showing a bunch of space simulations in the ad, moving the iPad in a 2001-ish monolith fashion, naming the color scheme Space Grey etc.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tater

tater

Posted
Posted

A few, isolated elements of Interstellar were clearly modeled correctly. Having a nice picture of a supermassive BH doesn't make the movie "realistic." They'd not bother with the first world, as it was dangerous./absurd as a choice. That and he entered a BH, but apparently was saved from infinite time dilation by "love." How realistic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sp1989

sp1989

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Ok please please please. I understand that it might have been my fault in a way for perpetuating this slightly in the beginning but can we stick to the martian. Actaully I don't have a problem talking about science and certain parts of the movies. Thats fine but for all intents and purposes no more comparing gravity and interstellar. No more complaining about either movie. If you want to have a discussion about the realism of the blackhole in interstellar thats fine. But if you want to talk about how the blackhole sucked and the power of love was stupid hence the movie sucked please keep those opinions to yourself. Its not because I want to stifle conversation but the realism in science fiction movies are such a polarizing topic it tends to derail threads. Gravity and Interstellar are SO polarizing they have driven threads into the ground.

So lets stick to the martian for now. I mean guys the movie is coming out in less than a month!!!! Ok so here is a strange feeling I have been having or strange reactions. Because I enjoyed the novel so much I am obviously very protective of it. As the hype and popularity grows about the movie I get excited to see clips and trailers but when I hear critique and breakdown from people who clearly haven't read the book it deeply frustrates me. For example my local news showed a clip from the martian this morning. One of the anchors said verbatum (I remember it because I was annyed so much) "uhhhh I don't, it looks beautiful but it looks like science is gonna be too much apart of the movie and people probably aren't going to like that" I yelled dozens of words we aren't allowed to use on this forum. THATS WHY THE MOVIE IS GOING TO BE AWESOME! A family member of mine said "uhh its probably gonna be another boring space movie!!" she said this not knowing I read the book. After forty minutes later I might have convinced her its gonna be good. The other problem I have this isn't exclusive to the martian but I am not a hipster but when it comes to nerdy stuff. Even though I am overjoyed that the movie is coming out I am sad that after October second The Martian isn't something I know that isn't a happy surprise for someone. Like "do you want to read an amazing book that no one has heard of?" "sure" 2 days later "OMG you're totally right!!" "great pass it on to only awesome people" lol. Anyway end of rant. Discuss!

Edited by sp1989
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Cydonian Monk

Cydonian Monk

Posted
Posted (edited)

I can't properly respond to any "The Martian" thread without gushing like a fanboy, so I'll just say I'm more excited to see this film than I've been since the 1990s. One of my quickest reads of a hard science fiction story ever.

Free Mars! (Wait, wrong Mars story....) Send the

(robot butchering)

Human Home!

Edited by Cydonian Monk
Link to comment
Share on other sites
PakledHostage

PakledHostage

Posted
Posted (edited)
I know Canada got it first... And I am pretty sure we have a few Canadian here.

Only in Hogtown... And then only at TIFF, according to IMDB. Places like Cowtown have to wait like everyone else.

Update:

Even NASA is jumping on the bandwagon:

September 25, 2015

MEDIA ADVISORY M25-15

NASA Invites Media to Embark on a Journey to Mars

NASA scientists, engineers and former astronauts as well as cast members from the movie “The Martian†will participate in a panel session Thursday, Oct. 1, focusing on the agency’s Journey to Mars at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The event will air live on NASA Television beginning at 11:30 a.m. EDT.

The “So You Want to be a Martian†event will include an interactive element with a question and answer session with students throughout the country via NASA’s Digital Learning Network. Local area students also will be in the audience.

At the conclusion of the panel session, media will have the opportunity to conduct interviews with various panel members.

Panelists available for interviews include:

Jim Green, director, Planetary Science, NASA Headquarters

Bob Cabana, director, NASA Kennedy Space Center

Nicole Stott, retired NASA astronaut

Mackenzie Davis, actor, “The Martianâ€Â

Chiwetel Ejiofor, actor, “The Martianâ€Â

A photo opportunity at Launch Pad 39B, the site from which NASA will begin our human Journey to Mars, will take place following the interview session. Media attending the photo opportunity must be dressed in full-length pants, flat shoes that cover the entire foot, and shirts with sleeves.

Edited by PakledHostage
Link to comment
Share on other sites
This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...