Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG-13. Common Sense says 12+
Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up alone on a spaceship light-years from Earth. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing the sun, and save Earth. An unexpected friendship may be the key.
STORY: B+
Something for everyone.
Project Hail Mary shares DNA with The Martian, the previous Andy Weir adaptation. It’s a gripping, emotional tale of deep space survival.
What sets it apart is a sense of warmth and an infusion of childlike wonder. The relationship between Grace and Rocky (an adorable alien resembling the love child of a boulder and fidget toy) is genuinely endearing.
That difference makes for a softer, more fun, and more emotionally satisfying ride than The Martian.
PEOPLE: A
The best hang in Hollywood.
Some actors are so good that you’d pay good money to watch them talk to a rock. We can now confirm: Gosling belongs in that group. His effortless charm carries us through the film’s long stretches of isolation. It’s hard to imagine the film working nearly this well with any other actor.
Sandra Hüller may have been the last person I expected to see in this film, but I’m so glad she’s here. She wields her trademark stoic delivery with fantastically dry, comic effect.
FILM NERD STUFF: B+
See the light.
Long stretches take place in the spacecraft’s small, tight rooms. Sets like these rarely make for exciting cinema.
Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie) solve this issue by having the ship rotate. This lets sunlight shine through windows and stream across walls. The repetitive light is a subtle touch, but it creates a sense of motion and prevents the frame from becoming static.
ONE BIG LESSON: A-
Don’t wait for bravery to find you.
If you wait to feel brave before you act, it won’t happen. Bravery isn’t the sword you carry into battle. It’s more like surrender - believing that once you begin, the bravery will come.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Its premise will attract the Ad Astra, Interstellar, and Sunshine crowd. Its late-era Star Wars sensibility that shamelessly constructs its content toward young audiences (i.e. buyers of action figures, lunch boxes, plushies, etc.) will pull in the families.
Hardcore fans in each camp may wish the filmmakers leaned more toward their side. Everyone else will find the blend of science and silliness unique and thoroughly enjoyable.