Imagine one day you find out the sun is being devoured by a life form, and you’re tasked with saving humanity from its demise. You are tasked, against your wishes, to use your expertise to come up with a solution to an impossible problem.
Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller bring the pages of Andy Weir’s novel “Project Hail Mary” to the big screen in an adaptation that will be remembered for years to come.
Middle school science teacher Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, wakes up in a daze, uncertain of where he is. With his memory thwarted, he answers the voice’s demand to know what two plus two is, as he realizes he is in the middle of space.
As he slowly regains his footing, Grace meets the terrestrial creature Rocky, who joins forces with him to save their respective planets from impending doom.
The film uses this memory loss as a strategy not only to explain things but also to move the plot forward. The audience is constantly put into flashbacks throughout the film to give us context as to why Grace was specifically chosen for the task of saving all of humanity.
For a film that deals with a serious topic like the end of humanity, it is very lighthearted and respectfully silly at times. The dialogue blends moments of humor with genuine emotional weight. It helped prevent the film from becoming overloaded with complex scientific theory and kept the runtime from feeling overly long.
However, this takes away from the severity of the plot. While it builds character, hearing our protagonist throw in punchy one-liners also subtracts from the film’s stakes.
The music in the film plays a crucial role in shaping its emotional and narrative impact. Like other space films, the score blends atmospheric and ambient sounds with more traditional orchestral elements.
One of the more impactful parts of the film is when there is no music at all. The quieter moments really emphasize the vastness of space and Grace’s loneliness.
To have a successful science fiction film, you need to nail the visuals – and this film absolutely delivers here. The vastness of space is presented masterfully with shots showing Grace’s ship floating in space.
The ship itself looks very realistic, which is contrasted extremely well by Rocky’s ship, which is not realistic whatsoever. If you like good CGI work in sci-fi films like ‘Interstellar’ and ‘Dune’, this is the perfect film for you.
With films like ‘La La Land’, ‘The Notebook’ and ‘Blade Runner’ under his belt, there is no doubt that Ryan Gosling has established himself as one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood.
However, I dare say that “Project Hail Mary” might be Gosling’s best project to date. With his charm, he’s able to act for most of the runtime alone and easily be the soul of this film.
If Gosling’s portrayal of Ryland Grace is the soul of the film, then Rocky is undoubtedly the heart. Grace’s little rock friend brings so much joy to the film with his whimsy.
Shockingly, Rocky himself was not CGI and was, in fact, a practical puppet. This really helped with the physicality in the relationship between Grace and Rocky. The physicality of Rocky is easily established once his voice is added. When Ryland creates his voice machine, the film completely takes off.
Bonding moments make Rocky feel more human than anything. Their relationship really is the backbone of this film; it is heartwarming and can easily bring someone to tears. The relationship between Grace and Rocky is inspiring and gives us hope, and serves us exactly what we need in a major motion picture.
Project Hail Mary takes us on a journey across the stars and becomes an unforgettable experience doing so. It is a film that is both a classic thematically and one that is daring enough to be something new. While the runtime might scare folks away, it is well worth the two-hour and thirty-minute experience.
With jaw-dropping visuals and a masterful soundtrack to serve it, Project Hail Mary can be enjoyed by anyone looking for an excuse to enjoy a day out at the theater. This film is simply “Amaze. Amaze. Amaze.”
