I can finally utilize my background in Aerospace Engineering to critically examine a film that actually cares about being scientifically accurate. Adapted from a New York Times bestselling novel, Project Hail Mary arrives with real expectations, outside of the science behind it. The novel is often cited as one of the best pieces of science fiction literature to come out of the 21st century. Thankfully, Phil Lord and Crhistopher Miller don’t fail their assignment. Against the odds, Project Hail Mary sticks the landing and earns its place as a modern science fiction masterpiece.
The key to Project Hail Mary’s success does not lie in its sweeping space visuals or its interstellar stakes. It lies within its simplicity. Like the novel, once you strip away the science fiction, this story is about two people coming together and through their friendship to save the world, or should I say worlds. It is a classic tale as old as time. It’s endlessly adaptable and flexible to any genre. That is what gives it its staying power. Blend that core with a bit of charm and just enough operatic science fiction flair, and Project Hail Mary lands as an instant classic.
Adapting the same narrative structure of the novel, the film cuts between Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling, Barbie) aboard the Hail Mary and the fragments of his life back on Earth. We are introduced to disoriented, bearded and word down Dr. Grace as he is waking from a coma that has lasted over a decade. He stumbles through the ship trying to get his bearings only to realize he is not just far from home, but he is lightyears away from Earth. Suffering from amnesia he has no recollection of his life on Earth or how he got on the spaceship in the first place. Through lapses of memory, the film flashes back to his life on Earth.
He was a middle school teacher, with a doctorate in molecular biology who was shunned by the scientific community for his controversial thesis on the origins of life. But that thesis leads him to be recruited by Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller, Anatomy of a Fall), the director of Project Hail Mary. The project’s mission is to save the Earth from the mysterious Astrophage who is eating the Sun’s radiation. With the Sun producing less heat, it will cause Earth to not only plunge into another Ice Age, but this time extinction is on the menu. The goal is to send three astronauts on a one way mission to a distant star system to investigate the one star not affected by the Astrophage before humanity goes extinct.
Back to the present day, Grace scrambles not only to figure out how to pilot the Hail Mary, but also how to solve the enigma that is the Astrophage in Tau Ceti’s Petrova Line. Tau Ceti is unaffected by the Astrophage and he doesn’t have a clue as to why. But that is not the least of Grace’s worries as he discovers that he is not alone as a spacecraft of an unknown origin approaches the Hail Mary. Grace not only realizes that we are not alone in this universe but he does not know if this alien ship is a friend or a foe. What follows is a narrative that is more grounded as it leans into something many science fiction films don’t explore, connection. A connection that even across languages and species, can save the world.
Both characters are motivated by the same goal, save their planets from extinction. The friendship between Grace and an Eridian he dubs Rocky, is warm, grounded, and filled with hope. Ryan Gosling, who is playing a version of himself, is effortlessly charming as Dr. Grace as he uses science, human willpower and pure luck to work through this situation. Rocky, played by puppeteers and voiced by James Ortiz, is probably one of the best alien characters we have ever seen in film. Though he does not have a face, his character is filled with life and wit. The chemistry between the two is immediate; their back-and-forth carries a rhythm that’s both funny and genuinely affecting without ever feeling forced.
Directing duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller bring their A-game to Project Hail Mary. Despite working primarily in animation, they translate their animation background perfectly to the live action medium. Utilizing their precision and elasticity, they push the live action medium to new directions. With Greg Fraser behind the camera and Daniel Pemberton scoring, the space sequences are operating on a level we haven’t seen in a long time. There is clarity and scale to them that has been missing in a lot of science fiction. You truly feel how small we really are. On a technical level, it’s impressive. On a theatrical level, it’s an unforgettable experience. In IMAX the film has a real presence that pulls you into this epic that is filled with tension and awe.
Overall, Project Hail Mary is a modern science fiction masterpiece. It reminds us that stories like these do not stand the test of time because they are visually spectacular, though it helps. They stand the test of time because of their stories. At its heart Project Hail Mary is a story about two alien species, coming together with a common goal and through their friendship and expertise, they save the world. Nothing is more powerful than the connection we share and Project Hail Mary is a reminder of that.
My Rating: A
Project Hail Mary is now playing in theaters nationwide.
Leave a Reply