'The Martian' review: Ridley Scott entertainer runs high on humour and science!

Film: The Martian
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel​ Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Sean Bean, Donald Glover
Rating: ****

What's it about: 
Botanist Mark Watney gets left behind on Mars during a manned mission to the red planet. Forced to make a tough decision - brave a freak storm and risk losing her crew or assume Mark's dead and escape to safety - Commander Melissa Lewis opts for the latter.  
Watney survives and "sciences the sh*t out of this", creating video logs and attempting to get by on the meagre supplies he has, hoping NASA discovers that he's alive and works on a way to bring him back home.
They're faced with two options: Send him fresh supplies and wait for the next manned mission to Mars to reach him or just ask his crew members to turn back and retrieve him with a little help from 'friends in need'.
With all of Earth rooting for his return and NASA under mounting pressure to find a way to 'bring him back', hard decisions have to be made. Will Watney cheat death a second time and come home?

What's hot: 
Based on the Andy Weir novel of the same name, The Martian has the charismatic Matt Damon playing the never-say-die Mark Watney. Scott is firmly in the driver's seat and the supporting cast is top-notch. The screenplay (Drew Goddard) keeps the enthusiasm for a man-alone castaway alive with some strong moments, especially through the humorous lines given to Matt to mouth. The drama of the intense moments are intact as well and that's always a good sign. Then there's some strong camera work by Dariusz Wolski (Prometheus and next week's The Walk) who has you scanning the screen in appreciation. And despite its long running time and explanations on video logs, there's not a moment where you feel that this film is boring. Because it isn't.

What's not: 
If you've read the book and then watch this film, you'll find that while the content has largely been retained, there are a few omissions and quite a few creative liberties taken. Also, there is a head-scratching moment when you realise that Chiwetel​ Ejiofor plays Vincent Kapoor, but India barely registers in the story. Wonder how that happened. 

What to do:
A solid entertainer that's high on entertainment, humour and science, it is a space-flick you shouldn't miss.

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