Much like George Miller earlier this year with Mad Max: Fury Road, it is impressive to see Scott so much in command of his craft, especially when back home, the career span of a director is barely ten or fifteen years.

Detailing (potatoes were grown at different times) and scientific accuracy (NASA was consulted) has been taken into account while also providing rough and ready translations for the scientifically challenged. At the end of an entertaining and engrossing 141 minutes, you doff your hat to the skill of the actors, the director, the never-say-die spirit of human beings and also remember the intrinsic value of trash.

…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. A solid entertainer that’s high on entertainment, humour and science, it is a space-flick you shouldn’t miss.

The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott — in rare form, is a throwback to those brave days of space exploration, peppered with enough wry wit and thrills to keep you entertained. But essentially, it is a nod to indomitable human will, initiative and the thirst to go where no man has gone before.

Glee is the underlying narrative of from this surprisingly optimistic space tale the director who gave us Alien. ‘Man stranded on Mars’ is just the setting.

Unlike Gravity, which was at its best a unique sensory experience, The Martian rarely tries to overwhelm us with scale or spectacle. Instead—and this might sound weird—Scott’s film is mainly a wry comedy, one which smoothly transfers the castaway narrative to outer space.

Bubbling with cheeky dialogue and propelled by its ‘can-do’ spirit, The Martian is an optimistic survival tale with a leading man who owns the screen. Scott puts a nice spin on the modern sci-fi, and a gives us a film that warms the heart.

Scott and his team get innovative in creating a framework for plausible realism, well aided by Janty Yates costumes, un-obstructive 3D effects and splendid space vistas. There’s suspense, thrills and excitement in ample measure and though this is speculative fiction, it appears so very real.

Scott has never been known for comedic films, so his grasp on timing is a welcome change from all the serious stuff he’s done previously. His recent films have suffered because of lousy scripts, so teaming up with Cabin in the Woods’ Godard on such strong source material nicely complements Scott’s mastery over visual storytelling. The result is a very funny movie, with big sci fi spectacle, thrilling space exploration visuals and also a couple of life lessons. What more could you possibly ask for?

At the end of the day, the guys behind The Martian do know that nitpicking cannot spoil an out-and-out thrilling ride to Mars. You’ve got to give it to them. Go book your trip to Mars this week. And guess what, you’ll have a better shot at survival there than Watney. You don’t need to get hydrogen and oxygen to create water any longer… Mars will take care of that.

The Martian proves to be a light, pleasant watch…

Director Ridley Scott’s visuals are either deeply intimate (focused up close on Watney and his doings) or immeasurably vast (the unending red desert stretches of Mars, the infinity of space) and the latter touch something deep and elemental in you.

Despite being a fanatsy, this Ridley Scott film doesn’t feel fictional for a moment…

…if you like sci-fi films that boast of a great story line, gripping narrative, stellar performances and awe-inspiring visuals, THE MARTIAN is a must-watch.

In Watney’s iconic style, it’s about ‘scienceing the sh** out of” your nightmares. His unflinching determination and persistence to survive is a story you don’t want to miss. Go for it.