Ridley Scott has done it again. He has directed a space adventure with the style of “2001: A Space Odyssey”, the tense homeland drama of “Argo”, and the ‘hopeless situation’ feel of “Castaway”, and all in one Oscar Baiting, thrilling, surprisingly humorous, and dramatic spectacular. This film has so far done extremely well, skyrocketing to the number one spot on opening weekend, and earning reviews comparable to this year’s critically acclaimed success “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

This isn’t a one-man project, either. The cast is headed by celebrity talents such as Kristen Wiig, Donald Glover, Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain, and Sean Bean, all with important parts to the story, none of which feel shoehorned in.

The film has done commercially well, dominating over “Pan”, becoming partial cause to the Peter Pan origin story’s commercial failure, proving this to be a difficult year for Warner Bros. , after the big budget failures of “Jupiter Ascending” and “The Man From Uncle.”

The Martian also beat out fellow Oscar Bait contender “The Walk”, the biodrama about Phillipe Petit, who walked a tightrope between the twin towers in August 1974. This film came in a distant second compared to the further international earnings of “The Martian.”

This praise is mostly universal, as well. Kazmine Christensen (senior) says “[It was] excellent”, and “Matt Damon was good for the part, and [the movie] was very funny.” This praise is also shared by Stefan Pham (senior), who says he “enjoyed it” and “[it was an] excellent use of CGI to create a beautiful, mysterious new look for Mars.” Cormac Romine stated “It had a lot of emotional tension” and “It reminded me a lot of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’” When asked, all three would recommend it to others.

News critics and other online reviewers agree with the film. “The Angry Joe Show” podcast gives it a 27/30 for “great pacing and breathtaking visuals, making it better than Interstellar. Go Out and see it right now!” Rotten Tomatoes says “Smart, thrilling, and surprisingly funny, The Martian offers a faithful adaptation of the bestselling book that brings out the best in leading man Matt Damon and director Ridley Scott. 93%” The Telegraph gives it a 3 out of 5, describing it as “Nail Biting it isn’t, but thanks to a zingy script and a winning ‘Lost in Space’ performance from Matt Damon, this is the most fun Ridley Scott has been in years.”

The film is also commendable for its soundtrack, which is comprised of mostly 70’s and early 80’s disco. From “Waterloo” by Abba to “Starman” by David Bowie, it provides very appropriate music for each scene. The film also took its time on researching its scientific material, from the nuclear radiation protection of the bases and spaceships to the color of Mars’ sky. Overall, the film is mostly scientifically accurate, with only a few minor details glossed over.

    In the end, I give this film a “Matt Damon” out of Ten. With a witty, intelligent, nail biting script and stunning performances from everyone involved, it has the potential to win awards with how well it has done. It is definitely recommended to see if one is a sci-fi fan, or is looking for an original adaptation.