Movie review: 'The Martian'

The discovery of water on Mars is no doubt making director Ridley Scott very happy. His highly anticipated new film, "The Martian," coincidentally opened just a week after NASA's revelation. For more than thirty years, Scott has been making iconic, groundbreaking movies, and this sci-fi thriller is no exception.

Help is 140 million miles away as astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is abandoned on Mars by fellow crew members, who presume he's dead. He desperately needs it. Supplies are scarce, but Watney has a few tricks up his sleeve. He's also a botanist. The eternal optimist observes that he's going to have to "science the shit" out of his situation. And he succeeds — for a while.

Watney has amazingly managed to contact NASA, but the news isn't good. It will take four years before they can get there, and he only has 400 days worth of food. But he does have a plethora of disco music, left behind by Commander Lewis (Jessica Chastain). His hatred for the genre provokes many hilarious musings on the subject.

Ridley Scott has accomplished making Mark Watney a very interesting guy for over 75 minutes, alone on the screen. That, in itself, is rocket science, but Damon was up to the task. Scott knows his way around directing space flicks ("Alien" "Prometheus") but "The Martian" exceeds expectations.

Through stunning visual effects and spectacular imagery, the audience gleans a feel for what it's like on Mars and in outer space. He's crafted a gripping nail-biter that also keeps one laughing in the darkest of moments. It's a perfect balancing act.

Scott was also visionary in casting Matt Damon. He's never been better in a film. With a stellar supporting cast (i.e. Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor) in the wings, it's Damon who shines with blinding brilliance. His comedic timing is spot-on, and the manner in which he handles Watney's predicament is tear-inducing at times. A Best Actor nod looks inevitable.

"The Martian" is vastly entertaining and also politically uplifting. When China's space program learns of Watney's fate, they scrub an upcoming mission in order to help get him back. And as the whole world watches and waits for the abandoned astronaut's return, we feel a kindredship with our fellow human beings.

We certainly could use a lot more of that these days.