The Martian
4 Waffles!

Plenty of people have been warming to the idea of shipping Matt Damon off to some distant planet all by himself due to some recent comments, but The Martian shows us what happens when people want to save a person stranded in space.

Damon stars as Mark Watney – a man destined to become the greatest astronaut in the history of the universe. While he and the rest of his team are on a mission to Mars, a massive, unexpected storm hits, forcing the crew to evacuate the planet in a hurry.

During the mayhem, a piece of debris hits Watney, destroying a vital piece of his spacesuit, and leaving his commander, Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), to believe Mark is dead. To save the rest of the team, they leave Watney behind.

Yet, through a miracle, he has survived. Now, he is on Mars, all alone, running out of supplies and with no chance a rescue mission can reach him in time.

Will anyone find out he is alive?

Can he change the equation to give his NASA compatriots a chance to mount a mission?

In a world where physical attractiveness reigns supreme, I still believe in smart.

I root for smart.

I cheer for smart.

I admire smart.

I hope for smart.

The Martian is a celebration of smart (even though physical attractiveness still raises its ugly head because all of the smart people look like movie stars).

From start to finish and without a moment to the contrary at any minute in this movie, The Martian is enthralling, exhilarating, and heart stopping.

What truly sets The Martian apart is the attitude brought by director Ridley Scott, writer Drew Goddard (based on the novel by Andy Weir) and the entire cast. Make no mistake about it, The Martian is dealing with a harrowing story full of human drama and massive ethical dilemmas.

However, the human spirit matters just as much as anything else. It’s practically a character in the movie.

We see this cast of characters as super smart professionals with dynamic personalities, unbreakable camaraderie, and realistic reactions to the most unimaginable of situations.

Damon is the epitome of this attitude as he makes Watney charming, cocky, confident and a complete wise ass. Yet, we like him and feel every emotion as he rides a rollercoaster from pure joy at the thought of surviving to the depths of despair when all hope is lost to back up when a new plan is hatched and on and on and on.

It’s one of the best performances you have ever seen from Damon as he converses with the audience through video logs Mark would be required to collect on a mission. It gives him a chance to reach beyond the screen and connect with the audience in a way very few actors can.

While the laughs are surprising, the emotions are even more so.

The Martian is rated PG-13 for some strong language, injury images, and brief nudity.