The Martian: 8 Ways It Shows Hollywood How To Do Science Right
6. It Isn’t Too Serious
Because science is a "serious subject" it is often given some kind of quasi-religious status in Hollywoodland. The implication is that we should be very serious about this stuff because we're very clever and profound.
The refreshing irreverence shown throughout the film does far more to demystify science. What with the Guardians Of The Galaxy: Mars Edition style soundtrack, and Mark Watney's steady stream of quips and swear words in between doing very very clever, but easy to follow, science, it becomes accessible in a way that we haven't quite seen before.
The film is rated PG-13, meaning that we have a potential gateway film for science kids here. Science in The Martian is fun, and what do kids like? Fun.
Apart from the odd swear (and let's face it, your kids have probably heard worse from you whilst emptying the dishwasher), I think that the way science is represented in The Martian could prove to be far more compelling for the young and wide eyed amongst us than any of the over-the-top peril of a lot of sci-fi.