Cert – 12, Run-time – 2 hours 36 minutes, Directors – Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Waking up in the middle of space on a Hail Mary mission, science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) teams up with a rock-like alien (James Ortiz) to save both their worlds from star-eating cells.
It’s been 12 years since Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s last feature directorial credit (with TV work and what could have been their version of Solo in-between that, alongside writing and producing work, including on the Spider-Verse films). Their return to being behind the camera comes with plenty of visual style in front. Even a chamber of endless buttons and switches brings a sea of light and colour to wash over the concerned face of Ryan Gosling’s science-teacher-turned-astronaut Ryland Grace. Stranded in space, unsure of where he’s going, the ship he’s in shows the confining yet endless nature of space.
He’s on a mission to save Earth when it appears the sun is at threat of being eaten by a sea of star-eating cells which have been working through the galaxy. The effect could kill more than half the world’s population within 30 years, and Grace is the one sent to find a solution. However, waking up from his induced coma he floats through the ship having to piece together why he’s alone in space, until stumbling across a small, rock-like alien which he names Rocky (voiced and puppeteered by James Ortiz) who’s on a similar, isolated mission from his own world.
Gosling can balance existential fear and weighty responsibility (calling to his more dramatic works of years gone by) with the buddy comedy aspects with his character’s alien friend. It’s something that Lord and Miller themselves get a kick out of in Drew Goddard’s screenplay, adapting Martian author Andy Weir’s novel of the same name, leaning in to the humour when they get the opportunity whilst understanding the isolation of their central figure. Throughout we see flashbacks of him helping the Project Hail Mary team (led by Sandra Hüller’s Eva Stratt, riding both sides of dead-pan) prepare for launch, gradually getting closer to going on the mission himself.
Boardrooms and rooms on aircraft carriers contrast with the vastness of the galaxy, especially in scope and colour. Charles Wood and his production design team have gone all out and spent every penny of their budget effectively, pushed by the visual effects team and cinematographer Greig Fraser. The space sequences in particular are utterly immersive and made to be seen on the big screen, with Daniel Pemberton’s wonderful score tackling the wonder tinged with isolation. Instances of ships rotating, almost swirling, as they float in the sea of nothingness, or the rainbow of light cast by nearby planets – the third act is full of this, and tension – are spectacles of wonderment. Reminders of traditional sci-fi joy and immersion, mixed with the human story. As a technical piece there’s hope that this will be remembered come next year’s awards season.
As a whole piece there’s no denying the enthralling nature of Project Hail Mary. It captures a stronger emotional aspect, and better sense of isolation, than previous Weir adaptation The Martian (which had more viewpoint from Earth and the effort to ‘Bring him home’) while still bringing in an easy wit in naturally-placed gags and comments. An entertaining spectacle of uncertainty, isolation and companionship. There’s a warmth to Project Hail Mary which slips into many scenes, particularly those which see Grace and Rocky start to succeed in their attempt to save the stars. It adds to the drive of the mission, and the tension we eventually feel for it, and them. All in the traditional-feeling endless confinement of space.
A survival narrative of one man and humanity with isolation, companionship and an amusing rock alien. There’s a warmth to Project Hail Mary’s narrative and wonder to its spectacle. It’s an enthralling, traditional-inspired sci-fi joy.
Just A Little Bit Random 