Golden Globe for comedy, comedians miscast in serious roles. ABBA soundtrack. Contrived to make money. Awful, awful.

Rating: 1/10 (11 June 2017)

This movie may have been initially popular, but it will fade away. To better imagine being on Mars I had to mute the sound to imagine Watney breathing in his space suit whilst he worked, You do get the impression of being on Mars but this is not sustained because of the comedic overtones and stupendous miscasting. I imagined another version being released in the future - a true space drama- deleting the wisecracks, replacing the soundtrack, and reinforcing the success factors such as the sense of isolation, the science, and the fear. But that's not going to happen. People forget this movie is a comedy, yet it is thoroughly unfunny, but it did win a Golden Globe for comedy. Touché from the accountants! Audiences do love an optimistic fantasy depicting triumph over adversity. And what fantasy! The sandstorm that stranded Watney would be no more fierce than being pelted by talcum powder given Mars thin atmosphere. The storm would barely raise a flag. And then there is Watney. Perpetual optimist, says he's a botanist, but botanists are not farmers nor gardeners. The garden he creates is ridiculous, too shallow with no drainage, and the crop yield fantastical (see one of the reviews below which explores this in detail). Watney doesn't suffer much. He is playful, always strong, optimistic, jovial, confident. I don't see him triumphing over adversity.