Beauty of the indomitable human spirit

GOOD things happen when science fiction meets science fact in The Martian, a 3D-thriller about an astronaut stranded on Mars who relies on his training, ingenuity and can-do spirit to survive while waiting to be rescued. Ridley Scott's new film is visually stunning, scientifically accurate (mostly) and always entertaining - the sort of cinematic trifecta that suggests a bright future at the box office.

Scott, who famously ventured into space ("where no one can hear you scream") with Alien (1979), takes a much different route this time, forgoing scary make-believe for true-to-life drama. There are no slimy monsters in The Martian, only smart solutions to…