Space, the final frontier. Ever since mankind landed on the moon we have looked beyond it and reached for the stars. “Interstellar,” directed by Christopher Nolan, takes one glimpse at that idea. Cooper (Mathew McConaughey) leaves his family behind on a dying planet Earth so he can travel to another galaxy to save them.

Nolan is known for mind-bending puzzles and questions like those presented in his film “Inception.” “Interstellar” follows suit with lots of science talk and a plot that will keep audiences guessing up until the very end. It’s full of excitement and beauty as well. The scenery is gorgeous, with some of the shots being epic in scale. Each planet is different in terrain and each provide for truly amazing moments. Although the running time is a little shy of three hours (169 minutes), it’s well worth it.

While not on the level of “Gravity,” the intensity of this movie is enough to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Suspense and plot twists make for an emotional thrill ride, with a robot named TARS providing needed comic relief at times, peaking at adrenaline highs and falling to lows of despair before wrapping up in a mind-bending series of events.

The science is sometimes off, but doesn’t detract from the story as a whole. I fully recommend this film.

“Do not go gently into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”