Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a spaceship light-years from Earth. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing the sun, and save Earth. An unexpected friendship may be the key.
Chuck says:
Having not read Andy Weir’s novel Project: Hail Mary, I came in cold to Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s big screen adaptation of the same. It didn’t take long to understand why the book was on the New York Times’ Best-Sellers List for nearly 40 weeks. Knowing that if it ain’t broke, it shouldn’t be fixed, Weir simply took the structure of his successful debut novel The Martian, and replicated it on a grander scale. By creating another sympathetic, Everyman hero, a high-concept premise presented in layman’s terms, and an adventure-laden storyline, Mary was engineered for success.
For the most part, that translates well to the screen. This $200 million epic is a grand visual achievement, as it employs no greenscreen shots, the practical nature of its elaborate sets providing a sense of place in the middle of nowhere. This proves vital as it provides the movie with a degree of realism that conveys the dangers facing our protagonist. As for that character, middle-school-science-teacher-cum-astronaut Ryland Grace, he’s relatable in the best of ways, a reluctant hero whose biggest challenge is not accomplishing the universe-saving mission he’s been assigned, but rather overcoming his own insecurities.
The movie effectively puts us in Grace’s (Ryan Gosling) boots from the start. Waking up from a years-long suspended sleep, he finds himself on a vast spacecraft, hurtling through the cosmos. Suffering from amnesia, he eventually pieces together that he has been sent with a small crew to find a solution as to why the sun’s power is dimming. He finds that every one of his fellow crew members have died and is now faced with learning their responsibilities as well. In his mind, the success of this mission has plunged to near zero.
However, he gets some help from the most unexpected of sources. He rendezvous’ with another spacecraft, this one from the planet 40-Eridani. Seems its inhabitants rely on the same sun for life and have dispatched their own team to solve this problem. Ironically, it too only contains one survivor, an eyeless, five-legged, stone-like creature Grace dubs “Rocky.” Together they set out to find the solution to their shared intergalactic dilemma, an unexpected bond growing between them.
While this provides the crux of the narrative, it’s interspersed with flashbacks which explain just why the sun is failing, how this international crisis led to unprecedented global cooperation and just why and how Grace ended up on the mission. In addition to Grace, the key figure in these scenes is Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller), the head of the titular mission. Her steely demeanor belying her true nature.
Credit Lord and Miller for keeping a handle on such a vast production and storyline. What with the “21 Jump Street” parodies being their largest movies to date, this is a huge step forward and they prove up to the task. Successfully blending pathos, drama and humor, they manage to keep what could have been an unwieldy story buoyant and engaging. As for the production itself, you can tell every penny of the budget is on screen, the film sporting an epic feel that proves immersive.
As for Gosling, he takes a while to find his footing. His inability to pull off physical humor is a hinderance in the early going, Grace stumbling about his ship again and again in an effort to get his bearings. However, once he settles in, the actor finds his rhythm, his scenes with Huller, who is excellent, being among the film’s highlights. Gosling has always struck me as a cold actor and while I would have preferred he showing a bit more emotion throughout, your mileage may vary on that count.
As much as I liked the movie’s first two hours, its final 30 minutes dampened its appeal. Rather than ending once the initial conflict is rectified, a further narrative complication is introduced that lessens the film’s overall impact. Having just been put through the emotional wringer, I wasn’t ready to be manipulated once more. And once this extra crisis is solved, we’re made to sit through a superfluous epilogue. It’s all anticlimactic and a regrettable approach to this crowd-pleaser.
Be that as it may, like The Martian, this contains a vital, timely message. Sacrifice and cooperation are the keys to survival, whether it be here on Earth or in the cosmos, while acts of heroism can come from any of us. These common-sense notions are writ large and effectively conveyed in Mary, themes that manage to still resonate despite the film overstaying its welcome.
3 Stars
Pam says:
If you’re in the mood for a feel-good, end-of-the-world story, “Project Hail Mary” delivers as a bona fide crowd-pleaser. Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, a brilliant yet refuted scientist turned high school teacher in the not-so-distant future. From the outset, we’re dropped into a looming global crisis: the sun is dying, and humanity is on borrowed time.
Enter Eva Stratt, played with commanding precision by Sandra Hüller, who recruits Grace into learning more about this space microbe that is killing the sun. As the research playfully and entertainingly unfolds, Grace is pushed into what will become a last-ditch mission to save Earth: the Hail Mary of efforts. Grace isn’t your typical hero; he’s hesitant, flawed, and lacking confidence, but undeniably brilliant. That intellect lands him alone in space, the sole survivor of a mission to a distant galaxy… or so he thinks.
What follows is where the film truly finds its heart. Grace encounters an alien life form who is affectionally named Rocky by grace, voiced with warmth and personality by James Ortiz. A fascinating blend of boulder and spider, Rocky becomes an unexpected partner, and their evolving relationship is the emotional backbone of the film. Their collaboration transforms a survival narrative into something far more meaningful: a story about connection, trust, and shared purpose across worlds.
The film rests almost entirely on Gosling’s shoulders, and, as you would expect, he delivers. He brings humor, vulnerability, and gravitas in all the right measures, making Grace both relatable and compelling. Backed by a sharp, engaging script (adapted from Andy Weir’s novel), the story hums along with intelligence and heart.
However, the final act is where the film falters. It struggles with narrative restraint, lingering too long as it searches for the right note upon which to end. While the emotional beats clearly resonate (judging by the audible sniffles in the audience), the conclusion feels slightly overextended before ultimately landing on a satisfying resolution.
At its core, “Project Hail Mary” is a reminder of the power of teamwork and sacrifice; two ideals that feel especially relevant today. And for those concerned about the science, I have it on good authority that it holds up impressively well.
One last piece of advice: see it in IMAX. The scale and immersion genuinely elevate the experience.
3 stars
