By Kate Joseph
Staff Writer

If you’ve ever dreamt of going to Mars, this is your chance.

Following 1979’s “Alien” and 2012’s “Prometheus,” director Ridley Scott marks his latest foray into space with “The Martian.”

Based on the best-selling novel by Andy Weir, the film centers on astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon), who is stranded on Mars and presumed dead after his crew accidentally abandons him during an emergency mission abort.

With no immediate means of communication with Earth, a waning supply of food, and an assumed four years until his rescue, Watney realizes he is, to quote the martian himself, “gonna have to science the s*** out of this” in order to stay alive.

Lines like that are what turn this film from a desperate story of survival into a smart, thrilling, and often comical jaunt. “The Martian” is essentially “Cast Away” on Mars—that is if Chuck Noland were charming, optimistic, and somehow still amusing under such circumstances.

However, this movie is much more than a one-man show on Mars. “The Martian” also features the remainder of the Ares 3 crew that left Watney behind on their journey back to Earth and the insanity going on back at NASA. Between the two, the impressive cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Donald Glover, Aksel Hennie, Mackenzie Davis, and, yes, more.

How Scott managed to cram so many fantastic actors into one film is astounding, almost unheard of for a live-action movie of such caliber.

These actors may be outstanding on their own, but the parts they fill are strong without them. Every character is distinctly smart—as a matter of fact, most of them work for NASA. Plus, many of the characters are women and/or people of color. And truly, a film can never have too many intelligent and diverse two-dimensional characters.

Damon undeniably gives the best performance in the film. Acting against no one for 90 percent of his time on screen, the two-time Oscar-nominated actor is sure to reel in another nomination next year for this role. Damon effortlessly brings the Watney readers came to know in the novel to life with a genuine mix of wise-guy remarks, pain, and perseverance.

In fact, the film is all-around an incredible adaptation of the 2011 science-fiction novel.

The on-screen version pulls together the details of the science-heavy book for a brilliant visual experience, the most realistic representation of Mars ever put on film.

Though “The Martian” is a near-constant stream of disasters for over two hours, many events from the book are cut for time. Also, a few scenes are largely changed or fabricated for the film, most notably the finale and epilogue.

In an odd modification, Venkat Kapoor, one of the main characters, gets a name change to Vincent Kapoor. The adjustment may have been made because Kapoor is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, an English actor of Nigerian descent.

Ultimately, “The Martian” is smart without pretentiously throwing out incomprehensible, borderline made-up science jargon, unlike last year’s “Interstellar,” which incidentally featured both Damon and Chastain. While both are monumental space flicks, “The Martian” boasts much-needed humor, a coherent plot, and a better use of a long runtime that leaves “Interstellar” and others like it in the dust.

The biggest flaw of “The Martian” is its trailer, which is so oddly misleading and spoiler-heavy it should be avoided at all costs. If you’ve already seen it, throw any of those misconceptions away and check out this movie.

With thrills, laughs, and a diverse cast, “The Martian” is a blockbuster worth the hype.