Director Ridley Scott has returned to the big screen with an adaption of Andy Weir’s novel, “The Martian” in a beautifully created science-fiction spectacle that has topped the box-office.

“The Martian” follows NASA botanist Mark Watney played brilliantly by Matt Damon as he attempts to survive on Mars after his crew abandons him believing him dead. Watney must utilize his scientific knowledge to plant food, communicate with earth, and more to save his life.

Professor of physics at University of Southern California Dr. Clifford V. Johnson said on the video series “Movie Science”, “It was essentially a movie celebrating problem solving, which is what science and engineering is all about.”

This realism stems not only from the film’s script, but from its origin in the book that it highly popular in the scientific community for its celebration of science and space exploration.

Chemistry teacher Mr. Michael Geyer said “The book was an extreme page-turner; there was enough suspense that I couldn’t put it down. It was not that science is important, but it brought science into fiction which was really cool so it was a true scientific science-fiction.”

The movie itself is masterful combining the tense elements of a survival film, the vast wonder and scale of a science-fiction film, and the fun of a Matt Damon performance with more humor than one would expect going in.

The setting is split three-ways between Watney trapped alone on Mars, the NASA team chaotically scrambling to figure out how to save him, and his crew on their way home as they wrestle with the realization that they abandoned a teammate, creating an interesting evolving tone.

While unforgiving and lonely, Mars looks stunning. The red rock of Wadi Rum, Jordan was a perfect substitute for the planet with beautiful and gargantuan rock structures standing in front of a warm orange atmospheric backdrop.

Senior Emily Misali said, “The aesthetic of ‘The Martian’ was amazing and my personal favorite thing about the movie. The orange of the space suits with the orange of the planet was a cool color match.”

“The Martian” is an epic space film that should not be missed. See it while it is still in theaters.