Since the March 20 release of “Project Hail Mary” quickly found its way into the public’s hearts after its release, as social media has been flooded with reviews and edits of the beloved new characters as they explore space.
The film adaptation of the book follows Ryland Grace, a science teacher turned astronaut, who wakes up in a spaceship alone bound for a faraway solar system with few memories and no idea of his mission. Slowly, he gains bits of his past and learns he was sent to help save Earth from Astrophage, a sun-dimming, microscopic alien. Ryland encounters Rocky, an alien on a similar mission to save his home planet, Erid. Together, they discover the secrets of Astrophage and form an inseparable bond.
The background is told as Ryland starts to remember it, leaving the audience in as much of an unknown as Ryland. The plot unravels as secrets are revealed, not only complicating Ryland’s emotions, but also the audience’s as we become more attached to the story.
The writers chose to have Ryland as a reluctant hero. He doesn’t desire to save Earth and often acts more selfishly when forced to make decisions. In many stories, the reluctant hero is over-used and annoying. However, in “Project Hail Mary,” Ryland’s unwillingness isn’t overdone and is well built up through the movie. Him not wanting to save the world makes it more impactful when he makes the sacrifices he does.
The writers weave together both science fiction and fact, with many scenes using physics and chemistry everyday audiences have seen before. This real science connects the pieces of the puzzle even more than a typical space movie, drawing parallels to problems solved every day by professionals on Earth and in space. Minus the unbalanced centrifuge, the lab scenes and scientific process seen throughout the movie provide another window into Ryland’s world and the problem at hand.
“Project Hail Mary” not only is comprised of incredible story craft but also gorgeous cinematography. It would be an insane surprise if this movie fails to make an appearance in the next Oscars. Multiple scenes have draw-dropping images, notably Ryland’s encounter with Astrophage during a spacewalk. It is even more impressive with how they didn’t use any green screens.
The colors chosen for the film also defies normal color choices for science fiction movies. Most are composed of dark, monochromatic colors to emphasize the vast emptiness of space. “Project Hail Mary” takes a different approach and uses fun, vibrant complementary colors, which bring in a sense of life into the film.
Ryland is played by Ryan Gosling, who showcases his ability to balance his silliness and serious acting once again. His dynamic with Rocky, played by James Ortiz, is heartwarming and laugh-out-loud hilarious at times. This movie further proves his excellence as an actor, with most of the screen time being composed of him and Ortiz. It takes a skilled actor to carry a movie so much, and Gosling fills this role perfectly.
While this is an impressive movie, it is not without its weaknesses. There are many parts of the book which were altered or left out, like most movie adaptations end up being. One of the major complaints is how the ending drags on. It is already a longer movie with a run time of more than 150 minutes, but while there aren’t many moments which should be taken out and each deserve their space in the movie, the ending could be shortened.
In many ways, the movie has reinspired hope into a declining movie industry, and has given life back to theaters.
