"You know the scene in Apollo 13 where the guy says 'we have to figure out how to connect this thing to this thing using this table full of parts or the astronauts will all die?' The Martian is for people who wish the whole movie had just been more of that scene."
Last night I saw The Martian. It's based on a novel by Andy Weir, who originally self-published it on his blog. I read the novel a week or so ago, and I loved it (as does Atomic Rockets—the ultimate seal of approval). It's science fiction, but the science is very hard (realistic). The book is like 98% realistic—Weir actually wrote an app to calculate space vectors for it. NASA helped make the film.
The main character, astronaut Mark Watney, is played by Matt Damon. Damon's one of my favorite actors, and in addition he perfectly fits the book's Watney. He's both tough and hilarious, and feels totally human.
The movie is, in the words of someone else, "A love letter to science." It's about a man who uses his scientific knowledge to survive against all odds, and who is willing to die for the sake of scientific progress.
It's awesome. I'll release another updated list of my favorite movies once I see Top Gun: Maverick.
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