Farming ... in Space!

Rating: 8/10 (14 February 2017)

A lot of sci-fi is about what's possible, but The Martian is the rarer sci-fi film about what's probable. This is a movie not about fancy effects but about *science.* It's a movie about a smart guy stranded on an alien planet who has to use his considerable knowledge to solve life- or-death problems.
The movie makes its science quite interesting; I found myself totally invested in the problems of growing potatoes on Mars or getting a rover to go further than it's supposed to.
While Matt Damon is doing his science, a bunch of people on earth are doing their science, and it's just as fascinating.
While there are no shootouts or romances, there is some suspense and a good deal of humor, as well as a bit less concern about the probable versus the possible towards the end.
When I saw the trailer for this, it didn't interest me; I really only watched it because my girlfriend wanted to (she liked the trailer). But this is a first-rate movie.