PROJECT HAIL MARY – Review by Susan Kamyab
Project Hail Mary is the second film adaptation of a book by Andy Weir and is directed by the hilarious dynamic duo, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Their comedy is prevalent throughout the film, but the whopping two hour and 36-minute runtime needs more than humor to keep audiences engaged.
Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a science teacher who has woken up alone on a spaceship light-years away from earth with no memory of who he is or how he got there. As he slowly starts to remember his mission, he learns he must stop a mysterious substance from killing the sun and save Earth from extinction. Thankfully, an unexpected friendship with an alien life form leads to a touching bond that just might be the key to saving the world.
It is best to prepare you for this friendship now; the development of their communication walks a fine line into corny territory that might take you out of the movie. Though Grace and his new buddy, who he has named Rocky, are cute together, the second half of the film struggles to land strong.
I will be honest, I have not read the book, it is likely those who have will appreciate this story much more. But this is a complicated screenplay to translate on screen. Unlike Andy Weir’s first novel to film adaptation, The Martian, time goes a little slower here. The Martian was thrilling, funny, visually stunning, and somehow the scientific language was easier to follow. Project Hail Mary is extremely wordy in its explanation of the crisis and problem solving. You can especially feel the first hour of the film. Buckle up and have some sour Skittles and Twizzlers handy during this ride (You will get what I mean when you watch the movie). However, the long journey does make the payoff a little sweeter. To be clear, Project Hail Mary is not bad, it’s just not what audiences might expect after seeing space films like The Martian, Gravity, or even Interstellar. And in all honesty, that may be a good thing.
Project Hail Mary‘s main source of fuel is the outstanding performance by Ryan Gosling, whose quirky character brings life and laughs into an otherwise dark tale. No surprise, the special effects are out of this world, with breathtaking visuals and beautiful cinematography by the incredible Greig Fraser. Whether or not you are compelled by the story, the production is sure to amaze, and worth seeing on the big screen.
