The Martian: 8/10

Without a single American manned mission since 2011, it often seems like the idea of humans in space is one of the past, cemented in Cold War-era nationalism. However, with recent films like Gravity and Interstellar, that interest may again be perking up.

The Martian is a brilliant, scientifically accurate, and surprisingly funny continuation of this recent trend. Starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars after a violent storm, The Martian is the story of one man’s fight for survival on a planet where the air cannot be breathed and no food can grow. Back on Earth, countless NASA officials work to bring him home. While it may sound ridiculously impossible for a man to survive those conditions, Drew Goddard’s script is rooted in science, with over 50 pages written by NASA itself. The Martian balances its unique mix of thrills, hard science, and humor with relative ease, working in sync to create a truly unique sci fi motion picture.

Matt Damon is a charismatic lead, doing most of the heavy lifting as he spends the vast majority of the film in complete isolation from the rest of humanity. However, saying this film is anything but an ensemble picture would be doing it a disservice. The supporting cast was surprisingly large and diverse, including young stars Sebastian Stan, Donald Glover, and Kate Mara. Director Ridley Scott has never been known to be an actor’s director, but he does the job well enough here, with believable characters and strong emotional developments.

Scott’s visual direction is the best it’s been in years, with sci fi being his obvious natural habitat. The Martian landscapes were immersive and truly beautiful, and an argument could be made to see this film in 3D simply because of how well it put the viewer on the Red Planet. Known for his detailed sets, Scott does not disappoint here either. His reliance on practical effects instead of CGI is delightfully refreshing, with this film being a serious contender for the special effects Oscar, with Mad Max: Fury Road being its only real competition. Hopefully Scott will learn a thing or two from this film when he goes to direct the his Prometheus sequel next year.

Riveting and hilarious, The Martian beats Interstellar and rivals Gravity as the best sci fi film of the 2010s.  I give this film an 8/10, with expert direction, a sharp script, and an enthusiastic cast. Audiences of all kinds will be impressed with this film, and I would have to recommend 3D as well. Usually, I opt out of 3D because I find that it detracts from the viewing experience, and it’s a bit of a gimmick. However, The Martian deserves it with enthralling visuals and an unforgetable, science-based story.