Well done

Rating: 8/10 (2 October 2015)

A manned mission to Mars is forced to leave the surface because of a storm and return to Earth: astronaut Mark Watney, abandoned because he is believed killed in the storm, survives, and is forced to rely on ingenuity to restore communications and create food and water from Mars' barren surface until a rescue mission can arrive.
Ridley Scott is a director about whom I have very mixed feelings. I have the utmost respect for his ability to put stunning visuals on screen, but I have found many of his films sorely lacking in narrative credibility. In The Martian â€“ all 141 minutes of it â€“ I have to award him full marks. Yes, it looks great, but I expected it to. Where it succeeds magnificently is in how it tells the story. This varies between the high excitement of the set pieces (the two major sequences which bookend the film, and several smaller ones along the way), the lucid portrayal of what could have been complex technical recounting of the procedures Watney (and others) follow in order to solve problems, and the emotional impact of his predicament on Watney. This latter element is dealt with sparingly, but hugely effectively.
The supporting cast is also used effectively, with unknowns shouldering as much of the weight as names (and there are some big names in here). But most credit goes to Matt Damon, because much of the film is a one-man show, and Damon hold s the stage with ease.
There are moments when the 3D is effective, but Scott doesn't make full use of it at all. Don't bother seeing it in 3D.
This was a good film, and I look forward to seeing it again.