I assumed the canvas tearing on MAV launch was the reason for the miscalculation between the intercept between MAV and Ares 3. Not having done any further research or watched the video interview yet, are you saying the MAV's ragtop tearing was probably anticipated by nasa? In the movie the canvas was held to the MAV by what looked like hooks so they had to know that wouldn't last, but in the book he would have used the resin and duct tape.
I find myself in the very specific subset of people referenced in this comic. So between that and having just finished reading the book, I'm probably nitpicking on what was a very good movie. *Someone already mentioned their problem of downplaying certain aspects like the rover trips. I was disappointed that after that great farming sequence of trial/error, every following predicament had a "oh this happened, but I did this" kind of resolution. *Manufactured drama at the end with the ironman scene. There was plenty of drama without having to go through all that. The bomb having a beeping countdown when it was activated by a light switch annoyed me more than I thought it would. *Can't say f*** in pg13 movies still? Didn't he say "**** Mars" early on? We missed out on so many good lines that didn't even necessarily involve cursing, but at least we did get the science line. I was really hoping for "Look! A pair of boobs!" *Teddy being cast as some sort of antagonist. One thing I really liked about the book and Watney mentions at the end, was how humanly universal it was to want to help someone in trouble. I'm hoping there's a director's cut that fleshes out the movie even though it was already 2+ hours. I understand that some people who hated Kingdom of Heaven came around when the director's cut came out.
I liked Wiig as the PR person. Perhaps due to the fact I hate PR people, and Wiig seemed like a PR person... ;-)
