There are very few movies that receive poor reviews but are still actually worth watching.The Space Between Us is one of these movies. The cosmic love story takes viewers on a journey of romance and adventure.

After Gardner Elliot’s (played by Asa Butterfield) mother dies giving birth to him during a NASA trip to colonize the red planet, Gardner is forced to live out his life on Mars, lonely and curious about his father and the planet inhabited by every living being … except him.

When he reaches the age of sixteen, NASA decides it is time for Gardner to travel to Earth.

After months of training and surgery, Gardner finally begins his months-long journey. When he finally arrives, he is forced into isolation. Upon completing a surgical process, the team at NASA learn that Gardner is unable to live on Earth due to an enlarging heart.

After hearing that he is being forced back to Mars, Gardner runs away with a girl named Tulsa (portrayed by Britt Robertson). Tulsa is the opposite of Gardner. She hates Earth, while Gardner loves it until he is disillusioned and is finally brought back to Mars so he doesn’t die.

The Space Between Us received poor reviews, but my friends and I enjoyed it.

Most people who did not like the movie felt it was very cheesy. One reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes is a case in point.

“The Space Between Us strands its star-crossed young lovers in a mind-numbingly vast expanse of shameless cheese that will send all but the most forgiving viewer’s eye-rolling for the exit,” the reviewer wrote.

And there are parts of the film that are cheesy, like when Gardner tries to pass himself off as a typical earthling; but generally, I felt that the emotions of the film were genuine.

One friend appreciated that it wasn’t just a “happily ever after” kind of ending.

I agreed. The trailer for the movie was not at all entertaining, and the movie seemed as if it would be a waste of my time. When I actually watched the movie, though, I really enjoyed it. The actors brought their characters to life, and the movie had a better plot than what was shown in the trailer. It was not the best movie I had ever seen, but it sure was up there.

The way the director (Peter Chelsom) portrayed Gardner Elliot on Earth was rather funny, and some people in the theater actually laughed. For example, when he went into a high school after just arriving on Earth and made a fool of himself. He went into the science room and pulled the rope, turning on the emergency shower.

Butterfield did a great job portraying an awkward boy who had never interacted with children or anyone other than a few astronauts and who learned to interact by watching old movies.

I was impressed by the technical detail of the spaceship and the realism of life on Mars. The movie The Martian is known for its impressive depiction of the Martian landscape. The Space Between Us does it almost as well.

In short, The Space Between Us didn’t suck as much as I thought it would.  If you like romance and science fiction, give it a try.