Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids

Rating: 7/10 (20 April 2016)

'The Martian' is a generally entertaining survival story following the "Murphy's Law in Space" formula established in 'Gravity' (2013). Unlike 'Gravity' no great effort is made to give the characters any real depth and there is no philosophy. It was obviously written by a science nerd and no doubt some of the solutions to the main protagonist's problems were better explained in the novel. The movie features amazing and believable realizations of Martian landscapes achieved by the special effects team. I would have to deduct points for cheap laughs, gratuitous pop culture references that seem out of place in the film's context, and some really groan-worthy one-liners from the main character.