When, early in the film, Matt Damon’s character Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded on Mars proclaims ‘I’m not going to die here”, you immediately think – Yes you are mate.

He’s over 200 million kilometres from Earth, with only his cheeky scientific mind to keep him alive until a rescue mission can reach him.

There’s not one dull moment with Ridley Scott’s canny directing, stunning visual effects and an (inter)stellar cast bring Andy Weir’s top selling book The Martian to life in the best possible way.

Not for the squeamish, this one puts the science in science fiction

I squirmed, gasped, laughed, cried and cheered throughout this epic adventure.

I was also grateful I’d read the book and was familiar with the character of Watney and his smart-arse sense of humour, which allowed me the space to laugh out loud as he faces insurmountable odds with a wry grin

If this doesn’t inspire a whole new generation of space fans then I don’t know what will…

4 & ½ Stars.