The Martian (2015)

Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Matt Damon, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jessica Chastain, Sean Bean, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Kristen Wiig, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Mackenzie Davis, Benedict Wong, Donald Glover. [PG-13]

Film version of Andy Weir’s popular same-named novel about an astronaut (Damon) stranded on Mars after a dust storm forces the rest of the crew to scrub the mission and leave him behind once he’s presumed dead. While Damon tries to keep spirits up and plan his survival, NASA is scrambling to figure out a way to bring him home. Strong blend of science fiction and tech jargon with crowd-pleasing humor, suspense and drama, dominated by Damon’s likably sardonic performance and director Scott’s deft touch in shifting tonal gears at regular intervals to keep everything moving steadily toward the inevitable conclusion (he also deserves credit for not leaning too hard on the obvious in-joke of having Bean in a meeting described by another character as being like the Council of Elrond). Supporting characterizations are sometimes weak, and the cliffhanger heroics and sheer luck of the climax go too far, but that kind of thing comes with the territory for what is essentially a Red Planet Robinson Crusoe movie. Inspired controversy after the film won the Golden Globe for Best Comedy (arguments being that it should’ve been submitted as a drama), but Damon’s running commentary—from space piracy to loathing his commander’s love for disco music—is funnier than anything in three of its fellow nominees, so…

78/100