Ridley Scott’s “The Martian” is a visually stunning tale of survivalism on the red planet, although it suffers due to its long run-time.

Working on two fronts, the movie splits time with Astronaut Mark Watney’s (Matt Damon) struggle to survive and NASA’s rush to create a rescue plan before Watney’s life support runs out. The writing on both ends is sufficient, but nothing spectacular. Each character spends a large amount of time trying to explain the science behind their actions and the attention to detail is pleasing.

All of the performances are adequate, but he produces a convincingly human character who shows emotional depth.

From the barren vistas of Mars to the confined laboratories of NASA, its visual appeal can help keep even the most restless viewer interested. This actually turns out to be essential, because by the end of its two hour and fourteen-minutes run-time, the viewer’s patience may wear a little thin.

Despite its long run-time, “The Martian” will satisfy those seeking a well-made movie about survivalism, space and science.