It's a good movie, but it's a great book.

Rating: 8/10 (13 October 2015)

(Very minor comparisons to the book- no direct reference to scenes)
I recently read 'The Martian'. It's a book I had wanted to pick up for a long time and when I saw the film was soon to arrive, in the usually capable hands of Ridley Scott and Matt Damon, it seemed like the perfect time to pick it up.
I'll start by saying the book is incredible, and quite possibly the best book I've read in years. Once you pick it up it's impossible to put back down and I was finished in a couple of days.
The detail that Andy Weir goes into in describing the surroundings and Mark Watney's predicament are so detailed it makes for a compelling read.
What makes the book strong eventually becomes the film's downfall. There is just too much in the book to include in a film. As a result a lot of detail is chopped to keep the film from becoming too complicated...and it's already running at 2hours 20minutes.
Changes have been made to the original story, for what can only be deemed 'Hollywood reasons' although whilst creating a slight frown on the face of anyone who has read the book, doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the film.
I am sure there is a Ridley cut of this film out there which will run to over 3 hours and no doubt cover off some of my gripes.
All in all, if you want to see this film, read the book first.