Solid Landing by The Martian

Rating: 8/10 (10 April 2016)

I had my doubts that a more or less single-actor film would be successful, but The Martian proved me wrong. Matt Damon was terrific in a Hollywood-esque storyline. He plays a botanist who is on the Ares mission to Mars. I guess this was the third mission. Mars is apparently prone to major storms, and one strikes the team, forcing an emergency evacuation. In the midst of the evacuation, Damon gets lost and seemingly is dead. The crew takes off.
The rest is a story of survival against the basic human needs, like food, water, and air. But also a battle to touch the planet he left behind. There was actually a lot of comedy in this film. Damon jokes at being the first for so many different activities there. Well shoot, he's the only living being on the planet.
The scenery / graphics were excellent. The co-actors deliver their roles - space jockey pilot, stoic commander, a-hole mission commander back on Earth. They all fit into a nicely scripted screenplay.
There are some twists and turns as you would expect, and a Hollywood ending that leaves you cheering, despite the improbability. But this is the movies - you want entertainment - the Martian delivers.
Nice job by everyone. Enjoy.