Project Hail Mary deserves two giant thumbs down. Which going by the Eridian rating system actually means two thumbs up for this AMAZE-ing sci-fi adventure.
Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary is the story of scientist Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling), who gets involved with a top-secret mission to save Earth’s dying sun.
For the sci-fi wary, don’t worry, the movie doesn’t get too weighed down in scientific jargon or explanations. There is just enough to make the plot and characters seem credible without requiring an advanced degree to understand what is happening.
Despite the film’s frequent deployment of humor, the stakes are high. If the “Project Hail Mary” task force team can’t save the sun, all life on Earth will start to die out.
The film cleverly uses the dual timeline of the book, which is a result of Grace waking up in space with amnesia after an induced coma. As the film unravels, you learn why Grace is there, and his journey isn’t as straight forward as you might guess.
By letting you get to know who he was on Earth and who he becomes under the pressure of being his only surviving crew member, it creates a compelling story of unlikely heroism. That said, Grace isn’t truly alone in space.
After waking up he meets “Rocky,” an Eridian alien named by Grace for his rock-like shape. Rocky has also lost his crew on the journey to Tau Ceti, the one star in the galaxy not being destroyed by the star-eating organism dubbed Astrophage and the last hope for saving the other stars.
From there, it becomes a heartwarming buddy comedy-drama of two different species working together across language and opposable thumb barriers to save their planets. The story is a very obvious message that’s needed in today’s world.
Project Hail Mary reminds us we all share one planet, one galaxy even, and instead of building walls, we need to find ways to connect and work together. Their mission is “Rocky Grace Save Stars,” not “Rocky or Grace Save Stars.”
Gosling has proven his comedic chops many times by now and is a great fit for the charming, humorous role. Grace is a little awkward, a little nerdy, but also proves he’s more than meets the eye when put to the test.
Although Gosling will receive much-deserved praise for carrying the film since he’s acting without any human characters in most of the scenes, Rocky and his sincere but strange to us behavior is the beating heart of the film. Puppeteered by a team including his voice actor James Ortiz, Rocky feels as real as any human co-star Gosling could have had.
Sandra Hüller also shines in her supporting role as Project Hail Mary lead Eva Stratt. She’s tasked with carrying the weight of the film’s stakes and a needed foil to Grace’s bumbling ego in the flashbacks.
Visually, the film is stunning, and the sequence when Grace goes into the Petrova Line to collect data is sure to give anyone watching “a moment.” Seeing the film on the biggest screen possible is advised, but for a film this good just seeing it on any screen you can is a must.
Ultimately, what elevates Project Hail Mary from a great film to a future classic is not just the technical achievement, but the emotion it will stir in its viewers. You will be believe a hail mary is possible, if you have a little help from friends.