For a “lost-in-space” story, The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott, is an unusually feel-good film. Bubbling with cheeky dialogue and propelled by its ‘can-do’ spirit, The Martian is an optimistic survival tale with a leading man who owns the screen. I’m going with three-and-a-half out of five. Scott puts a nice spin on the modern sci-fi, and a gives us a film that warms the heart.

Based on a novel by Andy Weir, The Martian tells the story of an astronaut marooned on the red planet, a man who fights all the odds to stave off madness, to grow food and to stay alive while stuck on a planet unlikely to host visitors for another four years. but with no conflict or surprise whatsoever, this remarkably light film plays more like The Swiss Family Robinson with a webcam.Yet The Martian proves to be a light, pleasant watch.

While The Martian is not an edge-of-the-seat thriller like Gravity, it is gripping nonetheless and strikes an enjoyable balance between entertainment and science. Scott’s understated drama inspires you to solve your problems instead of mulling over them.In Watney’s iconic style, it’s about ‘scienceing the sh** out of” your nightmares. His unflinching determination and persistence to survive is a story you don’t want to miss. Go for it.

That said, Matt does well to live up his character, quite literally adding ‘life’ and colour to a fated role. Although it feels like he has been overly endowed with scientific skills and luck, he manages to convince the viewer that it’s all fate, really. Jeff Daniels does a good job as the head of NASA, Teddy Sanders, who is left with making the ultimate decisions and having to face the backlash when things go wrong. Chiwetel Ejiofor as Vincent Kapoor is convincing as he plays the link between NASA and the shuttle builders, being able to negotiate and pull strings. Sean Bean as Mitch Henderson is limited to the little screen space. The rest of the cast is good, but since the entire film is told through Watney’s eyes, he truly is the hero of the film. On the whole, if you like sci-fi films that boast of a great story line, gripping narrative, stellar performances and awe-inspiring visuals, THE MARTIAN is a must-watch.