Great EFX but a bit preposterous, boring, yet spellbinding?

Rating: 9/10 (25 January 2018)

With 1100 reviews, I suppose that few people may read this, but here goes: Fantastic sets and special effects. I wish I had seen this on a big screen. I am sure that it has been compared to everything from "2001" to "Apollo 13". It seems a bit tedious, but that might be because of the 3 hour cable broadcast time if you don't DVR it. An astronaut presumed dead is accidentally left behind when a long-term Mars Mission is aborted due to an intense hurricane force Martian sand storm is encountered. The first third of the movie centers on how Astronaut "Mark" manages to set up housekeeping, grow his own crops, and re-establish communications with Houston Control. Then it shift gears and become a rescue mission much like Apollo 13. There are equipment failures along the way and the mission crew almost commits mutiny when they decide to double back and rescue the stranded man. Smart and intelligently presented by Ridley Scott but not everyone's "cup of tea". I enjoyed it but found many badly-answered plot hole questions: There seems to be an unlimited supply of oxygen in the space suits. Maybe they can manufacture it in the suit? The "Power of Duct Tape" creates a perfect air seal. (I guess it really is the handyman's secret weapon?) A partial nudity shower scene is really unnecessary. Even after a clear plastic seal blows out, the entire craft doesn't fog up and blow apart? Oh, well, enjoy it for what it is, but don't expect it all to make perfect sense.