After reading the book I could not wait to see this movie. The book easily makes my top 10 favorite books and so I already knew I liked the story. I don't typically go to movies on opening day but I wanted to make an exception for this movie.
Mark Watney survives. Not only do skills and knowledge make him perfectly equipped to live on a hostile and desolate planet 140 million miles from home but his sense of humor makes his experience seem almost enjoyable. Watney faces peril after peril and yet continues to survive.
The movie cannot tell the story the way the book did. It could not include the details behind the science. The medium does not allow the suspense that the book had for me but the movie still created an enthralling and captivating environment. The imagery of Mars totally captivated me and I found myself enjoying the characters in the movie even more than I had in the book.
Spoiler Alert
The only thing that I could not suspend my disbelieve for was Watney's Iron Man escapade at the end when he punctured his oxygen tube and projected himself toward the waiting Commander Lewis. I don't know why they changed that for the movie but that was a little too much for me.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and had to quiet myself occasionally during the film which is a good measure of my enjoyment.