My all time favorite space movie!

Rating: 10/10 (6 October 2015)

The Martian is a movie based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir. Astronaut Mark Watney(Matt Damon) & his crew consisting of, Melissa Lewis(Jessica Chastain), Rick Martinez(Michael Pena), Beth Johanssen(Kate Mara), Chris Beck(Sebastian Stan) & Alex Vogel(Aksel Hennie) are on a manned mission to Mars. When they reach Mars & go about exploring the terrain, a severe storm breaks out. After Watney is hit by debris, he's presumed dead by his crew because his space suit doesn't give off any readings. So, the rest of the crew reluctantly leave Watney behind on Mars. Now, it is up to Mark Watney to use his skills, wit & wisdom to survive on the limited supplies he has on the extreme planet. Watney also has to somehow convey to NASA, that he's still alive.
The Martian is a spectacular film. This film surpasses both Gravity(2013) & Interstellar(2014) to become my all time favorite film, set in space. The Martian is a flawless medley of the best elements of those two movies. The special effects are mind blowing. The 3D definitely adds to the already magical experience of watching this film. Director Ridley Scott & cinematographer Darius Wolski have masterfully captured the martian terrain. Green screen or real location, it actually looks like the movie was shot in Mars. I also loved the fact that the film tried to be as realistic as possible. The farming techniques that Watney tries is most probably what one would have to do if they're stranded on Mars. The fact that despite all the adversities Watney faces he always holds on to hope & never loses his sense of humor. Matt Damon is fantastic as Mark Watney. Being the protagonist stranded on a deserted planet, the success of this movie will always be judged by Damon's performance. He pulls it off, effortlessly. If it wasn't for Matt Damon's entertaining & powerful performance as Mark Watney, this movie would have been quite boring. Jessica Chastain is superb as Melissa Lewis. Kristen Wiig is great as Annie Montrose. Jeff Daniels is good as Teddy Sanders. Michael Pena is awesome as Rick Martinez. Kate Mara is impressive as Beth Johanssen. Sebastian Stan is amazing as Chris Beck. Aksel Hennie is effective as Alex Vogel. Chiwetel Ejiofor is outstanding as Vincent Kapoor. Mackenzie Davis, Donald Glover & Benedict Wong are great as Mindy Park, Rich Purnell & Bruce Ng respectively. The Martian is a must watch. Hopefully, it will get nominated for a couple of Oscars. One of the best movies of the year.