By: Jamie Steinberg
Wow. Dual directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller combined with the acting talents of Ryan Gosling have put together a fascinating sci-film in Project Hail Mary. Based on the book of the same name by Andy Weir, these powerhouses use their immense talents to bring a must see movie to our screens.
Dr. Ryland Grace (Gosling) wakes up aboard a spaceship to parts unknown and he has no idea how he got there. He quickly determines that he has traveled beyond our solar system and finds all of his shipmates are deceased. What is a guy to do other than break into the ship’s alcohol cabinet and get wasted on vodka? We then follow a series of flashbacks where we learn of Grace’s origin story as a middle school science teacher who stepped away from being a successful biologist after publishing a paper that caused him to be mocked throughout the scientific community. However, when the predictions set out in the paper seem to become more credible, Grace’s assertions that microscopic alien organisms (known as Astrophage) are feeding and populating from the sun’s energy are headed to Earth with the possibility of Armageddon levels of extinction are taken more seriously. Interestingly, it seems that Grace is not the only scientist that is orbiting Tau Ceti, a star that is (in real life) twelve light years from Earth. Grace encounters a faceless alien (nicknamed “Rocky”) that has his own mission to protect his planet. The two communicate with the astronaut through a crudely crafted translation device and make it their dual mission to save their respective worlds.
Gosling’s wit, charm and physical comedy keep the film moving and investible. Lord and Miller also do their part by offering a fascinating sci-fi adventure that becomes a buddy comedy when Grace and Rocky team up to try and protect their home planets. The self-shot video updates being sent out that narrate Grace’s moments of discovery and worries about being humanity’s only hope are quite poignant. And for those who are fans of the original book, you will be happy to see that the film’s ending remains true to that on page.
Project Hail Mary tugs at your heart strings in all the right ways. Additionally, the storyline resonates and the unlikely friendship formed along the way adds such a nice touch to this tale. It is the fascinating sci-fi story and the special effects that make this voyage to the theaters worth the trip.