The Martian: 10 Reasons Why It's Better Than Interstellar

8. The Visual Effects Never Taint

There is simply no questioning the progressive skill of Nolan's lens and set designs; heck, Inception is one of the most impressive and important films of the last decade. A number of core sequences in his sci-fi epic are dazzling too - namely when the ship first blasts through the wormhole on the fringes of Saturn littering the screen with hypnotic, enigmatic beauty. With the additional support of IMAX, there are very few who can say it didn't take their breath away. Despite some astonishing set pieces, Interstellar also has a handful of visual effects which absolutely rip the audience from any sense of drama or danger; the worst offender being upon the central Miller (water planet). As the tension cranks and the tidal waves rise, Dr. Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway) is busy searching with a data recorder and becomes pinned by debris. All of a sudden, on-board computing robot CASE folds into a gigantic metallic Kit-Kat and dashes to her rescue like Usain Bolt. Scooping her in his 'arms', CASE sprints back to Ranger 1 looking like a steroid-induced stick-man. In a scene so intent on purposefully amounting atmosphere, the addition of such idiocy belittles it all. One recalls the entire screening audibly laughing at the stupidity; not the reaction the filmmakers would have wanted. The Martian's immaculate visual effects never once taint the film-going experience - and more importantly, the emotional - by brilliantly working side-by-side. Scott's film screens with expressive excitement consistently and ensures the machine is perfectly fine-tuned and well-oiled.