Capsule Film Review: The Martian (2015)

The Martian, just like Cuaron’s Gravity, reminds audience that the space exploration is not only very expensive, but also very risky business during which most banal things could lead to catastrophic loss of life. Protagonist, played by Matt Damon, survived one such disaster during Mars expedition only to be presumed dead and abandoned on the surface of planet, so he must use all of his scientific knowledge, training and ingenuity to stay alive and wait for possible rescue mission. Based on the novel by Andy Weir, 2015 film represents rare example of "pure" hard science fiction in Hollywood, while director Ridley Scott uses protagonist’s video diary as a clever method of otherwise boring exposition. The film loses some steam during the scenes that describe bureaucratic maneuvers on Earth, but the quality of production, acting and generally positive atmosphere brings him way above the average.

RATING: 7/10