Matt Damon is lost in space in "The Martian"

A mission to Mars is a somewhat distant goal for NASA, but with Hollywood special effects, Matt Damon takes us on a trip to the red planet and teaches us a lesson in survival.  He’s The Martian.
'The Martian" starts out dramatically as a team of space explorers plans to abort their mission on Mars due to a dangerous storm.  Matt Damon’s  "Astronaut Mark Watney" is injured, presumed dead, and the crew takes off without him.  To Watney’s surprise, he survives the storm, but faces life alone on the abandoned planet.

I guess you could say “luck” is on Watney’s side and NASA techs discover he’s alive, thanks to satellite images. This allows them to work out a form of rudimentary inter-planetary communication.  At first NASA is hesitant to tell the world Watney is alive, and isn’t exactly sure how to rescue him… apparently, the math and the public relations fall-out is tricky. 

The Martian has some big name actors including Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Chiwietel Ejiofor and Kristin Wiig, but Damon is the true star here. With the exception of a few scenes, he’s putting on a one man show.  Luckily for him, boyish charm and  nerdish swagger seem to come easily for him.  The script is engaging and doesn’t get bogged down in the buracracy or the science.