The Martian movie poster (Source: followingthenerd.com)

Title: The Martian (IMDb)
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Written by: Drew Goddard (screenplay), Andy Weir (book)
Year: 2015
Length: 144 min.
Rating: 12
My IMDb rating: 8/10

Mark Watney is stranded on Mars. His crew and NASA believe him to be dead. The next shuttle to Mars arrives in four years. His food supplies will last him about 50 days. In order to survive, Mark’s only solution is to grow food and establish contact with NASA.

After listening to the audiobook version of the novel by Andy Weir, I was really excited to see how the movie adaptation of The Martian looked. I was not disappointed.

While the movie version of The Martian leaves out a few of the many dangerous undertakings that Mark Watney has to accomplish while trying to survive on Mars, it is still very enjoyable and exciting to watch. There are enough action scenes that leave you on the edge of your seat, cheering Mark on.

The director Ridley Scott manages to convince the audience that the planet they see is really Mars – the scenery and lightning in this movie are absolutely gorgeous. Matt Damon is very convincing in his role as Mark. He conveys the struggle that Mark has to face, the emotions that threaten to overtake him and the stubbornness that ultimately saves his life.

The humanity aspect of the book is what the movie really focuses on. Not only Mark’s struggle to survive on the rough desert planet is beautifully portrayed but also the seemingly limitless help he receives from everyone back on Earth and from this fellow crew members.

I left the movie theatre with elevated spirits. I wanted to believe in society again, in the fact that we can support each other in a crisis. That borders, nationality and money will become irrelevant when life is on the line.

Even if this is the only thing you take from the movie, it is worth it. Go watch it!