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 big problems associated with being stuck on an inhospitable planet 50 million miles from home.

The film, based on the novel by Andy Weir and adapted for the screen by Drew Goddard, manages the considerable feat of keeping viewers fully engaged in its man-facing-extreme-adversity theme. Over the course of 140 minutes, The Martian takes viewers on a space adventure that is loaded with techno-speak, self-deprecating humour and an irrepressible sense of optimism. Is there Life on Mars? David Bowie asked back in 1973. The answer is yes - at least while Mark Watney is in the house.