One would be reasonably justified for thinking that Ridley Scott has no sense of humor. The director has shown himself over the past decades to be a dour filmmaker. His film directing career began in the 1970s with severe and emotionally distant stories and he has stuck to that pattern ever since. His best movies, Alien and Blade Runner, typify the kind of movie palate that Scott prefers: world-building defined by bleak and imposing landscapes, emphasized with dark, atmospheric camera work. Rarely do Scott’s films reach for emotional depth or personal connection, even more uncommon is humor and lightness of tone. Some films call for that treatment. Alien and Blade Runner are classics of horror and science-fiction; they are primarily technical achievements and both are genre masterpieces.

Those two films are Scott’s best, and it’s no coincidence that they’re both over 30 years old. There is only so much dynamism to be found in the Ridley Scott style, and the longer his career has gone, the less rewarding his films have become. He won an Oscar for Best Picture with Gladiator, a movie that highlights the problems of the Scott ouvre: an emotionally blank film, starring Russell Crowe as a tortured man committing some visually striking violence. He made that movie again, a decade later, in Robin Hood, by which time audiences had stopped caring.

At times, Scott has tried to break from his style. He has made, in just under 40 years, exactly two comedies. A Good Year, from 2006, stars Russell Crowe and is utterly forgettable. The other, 2003’s Matchstick Men, came in the Nicolas Cage golden years, and is a fine, if perhaps unnecessarily dark, piece of con-man cinema. These films are the outliers in Scott’s career, which has stuck to the Ridley Scott script.

Which means that since Blade Runner, Scott has been looking for a way to return to his old-Ridley Scott thing, only to make it work in a fresh way. Well, he has done it with The Martian, the third great science-fiction film directed by Scott.

The Martian, based on the best selling novel of the same name by Andy Weir, is the story of Mark Watney. Watney (Matt Damon) is a part of a Mars exploration team that must abruptly abort their trip due to a storm that threatens their mission. During their evacuation, Watney is struck by debris, his NASA crew mates believe him dead and they make the decision to leave Watney behind.

Of course, Watney is alive, and when he wakes, he finds himself alone on Mars, in a tent meant to last 31 days.This all takes place in the first 3 or 4 minutes of the movie. This picture just cruises.

While majority of the The Martian is set on Mars, the film’s story is split into thirds.

The first is the struggle of Mark Watney to stay alive. He assesses his situation, and determines to use his botany skills and NASA knowhow to survive as long as necessary to be rescued (he believes this will be 4 years, when the next NASA trip to Mars is scheduled). Watney successfully manages to grow potatoes and declares himself “the best botanist on the planet.” He’s talking to the NASA mission cameras, a nice way to get Damon to schmooze up the audience when he’s alone, which he always is.

The second portion concerns NASA after their realization that Watney is alive. This turns out to be a bit of a PR disaster, since the director of NASA, Ted Sanders (Jeff Daniels), just recently said on TV that “Mark Watney is dead.” Sanders lets his media director Annie Montrose (Kristen Wiig) deal with the PR aspect, and works with the NASA officials played by Chiwetl Ejiofor and Sean Bean on various and sundry rescue options, with an assist from a cooky physicist played by Donald Glover.

The final third concerns the crew that left behind Watney on Mars. They are currently en route to Earth, and once they are informed by NASA that Watney is still alive, they must decide whether they are willing to make a return trip to pick up their comrade. The captain of this boat, played by Jessica Chastain, talks to her crew, Kate Mara, Michael Peña, Stan Sebastian and Askel Hennie, about what it would mean (treason), should they return.

All of which sounds like the making of a serious drama. But what sets The Martian apart form the Ridley Scott canon, and most high budget sci-fi cinema, is tone. The Martian is just such a nice time. Matt Damon is funny; the direction has light touch, and the supporting cast are allowed to bring the humor in almost every scene.

Throughout this story, the world’s attention is slowly galvanized around the cause of saving Mark Watney. Going to Mars is a good thing, saving Watney is a good thing, people want to help. The optimism of The Martian is infectious, and as corny as it may sound, inspirational. We could use a little geopolitical and scientific optimism these days.

I never thought I’d write this about a 21st century Ridley Scott film, but man is this a fun movie. Watney hates disco and he’s stuck on Mars with only disco for music. Donald Glover is a genius physicist, but he’s Donald Glover, and he gets to pratt fall for no reason other than a little physical comedy.

Kristin Wiig is surrounded by NASA scientists who are in a dire situation, but remain, even with their backs against the wall, nerds who love Lord of the Rings. None of this is typical Ridley Scott, but The Martian is so much the better for it.

There are problems in The Martian. The film gives only fleeting recognition to the mental and psychological anguish that would surely accompany being isolated on Mars for an extended period of time. The commitment to the humor and tone is appreciated, but Watney is a castaway (Damon goes full Tom Hanks in the roll), and that fact would take more than just a physical toll.

I would also have appreciated it if Scott give more love to his Martian landscapes. The Red Planet looks stunning, but Scott’s camera is always making such sweeping gestures that its hard to get a chance to take in the mountains and valleys of Mars. This is particularly obnoxious in 3D. You’ve built a beautiful world here, Mr. Scott, let us get a chance to see it.

But these are quibbles; The Martian is a blast. It’s an audience pleaser through and through, with charming performances to the last. Michael Peña continues to lay the groundwork for a superstar breakthrough; Jessica Chastain continues to be the one of the most performers in Hollywood. Matt Damon returns to his broad and charming movie star persona. He laughs and cries; he loses weight and dances and makes it cool to be a botanist. It’s his best performance in years.

The Martian is the movie that Ridley Scott has been waiting for. It has all the elements we’ve come to expect from Scott: the beautiful, harsh Martian landscapes, low lit camera work, a minimalist story that focuses on a protagonist in dire trouble figuring out how to survive. These are the stories Scott tells so well-the heart of his early sci-fi successes. It’s great to see them come back for another round.

Follow The Stake on Twitter and Facebook