The power of great storytelling, and the magic of real science

Rating: 9/10 (4 October 2015)

When was the last time you knew the ending of a movie, but still found yourself gasping with anticipation, clenching your teeth in fear, and generally being in lock-step emotionally with the main character. Not talking sympathy - feeling for them, but empathy... experiencing the ride along with them?
I can't even remember. But what's more, being a geek myself I was totally thrilled with a movie that treats science not as something magical, but something absolutely pedestrian - something accessible to everyone. Science is a tool that lets humans do amazing things.
By refusing to create fantastical tools or solutions to routine difficult problems, the book The Martian and the movie challenge us to think about the concept of a 'super power' differently. Try to convince me that the ability to make water out of non-liquid elements isn't a super power - it keeps you alive, and makes food grow! How cool is that?
Rated PG-13, I think easily this is a movie that even a 9 year old will appreciate, though of course there's a bit of course language and a bit of blood, but compared to most video games there's nothing to concern yourself with. And the 'brief nudity' mentioned is not going to be a problem for younger children, please trust me.
This is a movie that reminds ALL of us, children and adults, to not just look up from our iPhones and game consoles once in awhile, but to look UP... all the way to the stars, and consider our place in the world, and to marvel at the capacity of humans to not just destroy things, but to MAKE things, too.
I loved Interstellar - but this is fundamentally a more intimate and personal movie, and I cannot recommend any movie more highly.
BTW - skip 3D... it doesn't need it. Sit closer to the screen than you normally do, and that's enough.