In terms of scope, “Interstellar” exceeds many space exploration movies that have come before it.

Last year, the powerful yet simplistic style of “Gravity” set a tone for these types of films.

“Interstellar,” however, creates its own tone.

One of the only major critiques of “Gravity” is that there isn’t enough science in the movie – or, at least, correct science. Christopher Nolan’s epic, on the other hand, gives us plenty of science without bogging us down too much.

Set in a future where Earth will become uninhabitable, “Interstellar” follows a team of astronauts who travel through a wormhole to search for a new planet. Such a grandiose idea necessitates the use of science, particularly quantum physics, because the movie deals with space oddities like wormholes and black holes.

Again, though, it doesn’t amount to a lot more than hearing words like “singularity” thrown around, which does a general audience (of people who are mostly not scientists) a lot of favors.

Already clocking it at a run time of nearly three hours, I can’t imagine how much longer the movie would feel if it delved into theory instead of simply presenting it. I found this to be a smart directorial choice because it facilitates the authenticity of the film without taking away from its entertainment quality.

Speaking of which, the visuals are vivid and stunning (especially in IMAX), which comes as no surprise. The way space travel is presented in the movie feels groundbreaking, to say the least.

Like most other Christopher Nolan movies I can think of, “Interstellar” boasts a talented ensemble of actors, including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck and Michael Caine.

And it isn’t short of great performances from this cast either. The film is as deeply emotional as it is thought-provoking, which I thought was another smart choice.

It would be pretty easy to make the story more about space exploration, considering how much time is spent in space. But luckily, the focus of the movie is humanity.

This is, perhaps, Nolan’s biggest strength when it comes to writing and directing – making a film that has a beating heart. Though, at times, the movie’s sentimentality runs the risk of feeling a bit saturated, “Interstellar” is alive, and we can’t help but care about it.