When I entered the movie theater to watch the new science-fiction odyssey "Project Hail Mary," I had some skepticism it would be mushy and overly-sentimental. And you know what? I was right! I mean, I was partly right. But maybe more importantly, I wasn’t entirely annoyed with this one like I thought.
After the success of the 2015 film "The Martian," that film’s main production studio, Twentieth Century Fox, proved interesting films can be adapted from the novels of Andy Weir. That’s what "Project Hail Mary" is, another adaptation from a bestselling book by Andy Weir. This book was published in 2021 continuing Mr. Weir’s interests in speculative physics and space travel.
When an international group of elite scientists learn our sun is slowly dying from a mysterious microorganism, they recruit a nerdy middle school science teacher, Dr. Grace, to help them. This science teacher is played by Ryan Gosling ("The Fall Guy," 2024). His ingenuity helps the team of geniuses launch a ship that travels through space searching for a cure to stop the microorganism from destroying our solar system.
Along this galactic journey, Dr. Grace meets an alien who is also searching for a solution to the same infestation problem also happening on their own distant planet. Both space travelers learn to communicate with each other and work together to try saving their worlds.
"Project Hail Mary" is a lighthearted, endearing, adventure film with a few moments of comedy from Ryan Gosling. He’s a reluctant hero with a casually clumsy attitude. His performance gives the expected balance of vulnerable hope, goofy physicality, and tenacious creativity. Most of the film is Ryan Gosling talking to himself or trying to talk with his new alien companion, so most of this film’s credit goes to him. He keeps this film moving, and he keeps it fun.
Actress Sandra Huller ("Anatomy of a Fall," 2023), playing an impersonal blunt science diplomat who works with Dr. Grace prior to his space journey, gives some much-appreciated emotional urgency and seriousness to this film. Because when you’re presenting a film about the destruction of Earth, at least some seriousness is required.
My only issue with this film is its gluttonous layering of sappy joy and dumb wordplay jokes. In the last 30 minutes of this, I started thinking, “Did Steven Spielberg direct this alongside Mickey Mouse?” Why does this film have to be so focused on silly antics, cute moments of cliched friendship, and happy endings?
Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have previously worked together on the "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" animated films. (Specifically, these titles are "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" from 2018 and "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" from 2023.) So it’s easy to understand why "Project Hail Mary" has so much visual splendor and juvenile humor.
This film is rated PG13, so it’s a great choice for families. And by earning over $80 million domestically in its opening weekend, it’s another reminder of how people still enjoy visiting the movie theater. They just need a good reason to go there.
"Project Hail Mary" follows the ideas of other space/science fiction adventures like "Gravity" (2013) and "Arrival' (2016), because they’re essentially about competent people figuring out gigantic problems.
When Ryan Gosling wakes up alone in his spacecraft far from Earth with memory loss, he doesn’t crumble into depression. He uses his knowledge to figure out a solution. When he meets an alien with a different language than him, and a different look than him, they don’t try to kill each other. Instead, they work together and help each other figure out solutions to their problems. This proactive optimism is a great message from this film. I just don’t like that so much sweetness was used to tell it.
