The Martian
2015  PG-13  DRAMA  2h 21min
CAST— Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristin Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Chiwetel Ejiofer
MUSIC— Harry Gregson-Williams  DIRECTOR— Ridley Scott  BASED ON— The Martian (novel), by Andy Weir

     Matt Damon gives a tremendous performance in this sweeping epic of survival. The Ares III mission, a manned Mars expedition, is going swimmingly until a major Martian storm forces an early departure, the only problem being that one team member (Damon) is reluctantly left behind. Thought dead Damon is very much alive and soon discovers to his horror that he’s been left behind on a barren planet. Now how to survive? He calculates quite a long time until rescue arrives; he’d best get busy surviving. Being a botanist helps. He devises a way to grow crops on an alien landscape, stretching his supplies a bit further. It takes a while for NASA to realize that Damon survived, but when they do all heck breaks loose. It becomes a PR nightmare for all involved, but more importantly plans must be made to bring their man home. Designs are greenlit and subsequently trashed numerous times before solid actions can be made. Meanwhile, the crew of the Ares III faces severe repercussions when they balk at NASA’s orders and decide to go back and rescue Damon, culminating in an emotionally thrilling finale. Much like the earlier made Gravity (2013) this is not so much science fiction as it is scientific fiction, a drama turned suspenseful thriller that has you rooting for the hero. Great effects, with realism shining throughout, but it’s the cast that really keeps one watching and, once again, that awesome third act! A space-faring winner. Extended version also available.
OUR RATING— ***