Should have been a survival movie, not a "skin of your teeth" rescue movie.

Rating: 7/10 (29 February 2016)

As good a film as this is, it was not the film I wanted to watch. I think this did contribute to my lowered opinion of it. Admittedly this is not really a fair criticism, but I do think that a film about someone actually surviving on Mars for an extended period without assistance from earth would have been a more interesting story.
Anyway, there were a few key things that just didn't sit well with me about this film.
Foremost, I suppose, was the ever heightening complications and ever increasing risk factors that just kept being heaped upon the story until I felt it just got beyond what is credible. I thought the final stripping of the MAV unit to gain altitude was just too far-fetched. At some point the film crosses the line from telling a good story to just showing off one's knowledge of science and engineering. At that point I was just ready to give up any connection with real-life probabilities. In short, everything got to the point where the whole thing just seemed too contrived to be believed.
Next, the New Year's Eve size gatherings all over the world to await the outcome with bated breath just did not seem realistic at all. The only reason people gather in those numbers on New Year's Eve is for the prospect of massive substance abuse and illicit sexual encounters. It is extremely doubtful whether the fate of one astronaut would motivate such gatherings throughout the world. We have had astronauts in danger before, and no such gatherings took place. Taking into account the current increased apathy toward the space program, I find this likewise far-fetched.
Finally, the unabashed worship of science as religion. "Trust in Science, and lean not on faith in any other God. In all thy trials, rest assured that if you do the math, it will save your soul!" Throughout the film this message is beaten like a dead horse. Reality has taught us that such an assurance about science is both inappropriate and unrealistic. Even our best scientific efforts often end in tragedy and death. No amount of Pollyanna-ish optimism is going to unite the world in peace and harmony. This pervasively näive positivism descends to the level of nausea.
In addition, there's something creepy about Ridley Scott making an upbeat, optimistic film. He should stick to more barrenly realistic narratives. These have always been his best efforts.