Based on the book by Andy Weir and directed by Ridley Scott, “The Martian” follows the story of astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) who is stranded on an expedition to Mars.

The movie opens with vivid shots of the crew of Ares III, a manned two-month mission to Mars, collecting rock samples on the barren planet.

When a storm quickly brews, the team is forced to make an emergency evacuation back to Earth. Watney, however, is lost in the chaos and presumed dead. His team takes off without him, leaving him on Mars.

Watney, a botanist, believes he must survive for three years before the next Ares mission to Mars. He learns to grow his own crops in Martian soil and make his own water in the team’s artificial, pressure-regulated habitat which was left behind during the emergency take-off.

The film is intermittently cut with video diaries that Watney films on the computer in the habitat to document his experiences and maintain his sanity. Damon performs many, often comical, monologues in the video diaries, giving the movie a sometimes light-hearted air.

Crisis arises when the habitat spontaneously explodes, exposing his crops to the freezing Martian temperatures and drastically depleting his food supply.  

Rated PG-13 and running at 141 minutes, “The Martian” is a well-researched science fiction film with witty dialogue and an amiable, humorous main character. The audience will often find themselves rooting for Watney, laughing alongside him and sharing his sorrow and disappointment throughout the film.

“The Martian” is recommended for teens and adults for some mature language.

A film of adventure, thrills, comedy, hope and intellect, “The Martian” is sure to satisfy the tastes of film lovers everywhere.