Another successful epic form Ridley.

Rating: 8/10 (2 October 2015)

Ridley Scott and science fiction go together like strawberries and cream. They are made for each other. Some of Scott's greatest work has been in the sci-fi realm: Alien, Blade Runner and, arguably, Prometheus. His impressive form within the genre continues with The Martian, a surprisingly comedic adventure that is so meticulous and intelligent you would be forgiven for thinking it was science fact. Pitching its tent somewhere between a less serious Interstellar and a more plot-driven Gravity, this interplanetary saga follows Matt Damon's stranded astronaut as he MacGuyver's his way to survival on the red planet. Damon's portrayal of the never-say-die genius botanist is tremendous, unexpectedly delivering one of the funniest performances on his CV whilst still bringing the dramatic heft. It's a small shame then, that we spend a fair chunk of our time away from Mars, either back on Earth with NASA execs, engineers and astrophysicists figuring out how to rescue their man or in outer space with the guilt-racked crew that accidentally left him behind. Regardless of location, Drew Goddard's screenplay (based on Andy Weir's novel) is always clever and carefully balanced, with a light-hearted tone that works amazingly well considering the dire circumstances. In fact it's this consistent and edgy humour that sets The Martian apart from other similar sci-fi outings; some gags are so funny it could quite easily find a place on 'best comedies' lists at year end. Scott brings his usual visual flair too; the arid vistas of Mars are gorgeous, the outer space shots are conceptually intriguing and photo-realistically executed, whilst the wisely injected action scenes are thrilling, if not totally reinventing the wheel. And wow, what a cast. Damon is the deserving star of the film, but it doesn't hurt when Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean, Kristen Wiig and Kate Mara are playing second fiddle. Don't be fooled by its jovial disposition and spirited 70s disco soundtrack, this is yet another successful Scott epic.