“Project Hail Mary” shoots for the stars — and succeeds

By Alfie Eville

Admittedly, I was not greatly anticipating “Project Hail Mary” after seeing the first trailer. My initial thought was that it would be on par with “The Martian,” as that was author Andy Weir’s other book-turned-movie; that film was not exactly outstanding, which is why my expectations were improperly set rather low. That being said, however, the movie blew me away on so many levels and is a theater experience I will remember for ages, as I cannot recall the last time I felt so many emotions in one sitting. 

If it was not already clear, I have not read Andy Weir’s “Project Hail Mary,” so I am not exactly equipped to comment on whether or not it stayed true to form — though I heard from others that it was a good adaptation. With that, I will primarily be sticking to reviewing just the feature film. 

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller start the year off with an out-of-this-world film adaptation of “Project Hail Mary,” marking their return to live action filmmaking. The duo is most famous for their works in animation, making films like 2009’s “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” 2014’s “The Lego Movie” as well as the 2002 TV series “Clone High.” Despite opting for live-action, rather than animation, their newest film follows their previous works so clearly in tone and writing. The script for “Project Hail Mary” is tight, being chock-full of hilarious bits and great one-liners; the humor never feels overbearing or forced, and is so enjoyable that I was laughing the whole time. It is not a comedy film, yet it is better than most in that genre being released nowadays. 

Humor excels in these directors’ work, but there is also a great deal of emotion. The way the movie swings from comedic and lighthearted to serious and moving works so well and never feels like emotional whiplash. 

While the directors did their job, it could not have been executed better if it were not for Ryan Gosling in the lead role of Ryland Grace. His charisma is brighter than the star he is sent off to save in this movie, and I would go so far as to say that this is his best role in terms of range and personality. For most of the movie, he is the only character we see — or at least, human character — and it never feels like too much for him; Gosling owns the screen, dominating it with his charm. Scenes of him talking to himself, reacting to his surroundings — he perfectly conveys everything to the audience and is the best vessel to view this story through. 

As I alluded to prior, he is technically not the only character on screen. Joining him is his Erid-born rock friend, who he dubs as “Rocky.” One could argue that Rocky is just a cute creature, a mascot that lacks substance who is meant to sell toys and get butts in seats. That could not be further from the truth, as this faceless geode is just as — if not more — compelling of a character than Gosling’s. The level of depth and backstory given to Rocky is incredible and brings a great level of emotion to the scenes with him and Grace. Never does it feel cheap or one-note. Rocky is a more gripping character with more personality and aura than most lead roles in big-budget films coming out these days. In truth, the middle chunk can drag at times, but it is barely noticeable, and oftentimes forgivable, just due to how entertaining and fun Rocky and Grace’s dynamic is. Watching them grow and bond together is perfection.

To take a quick aside from Grace and Rocky, Sandra Hüller does an amazing job in a supporting role, and the few scenes that she is in are great. I loved her in this movie, and my favorite moment was easily her karaoke scene about halfway through. 

To sum up such a large movie like this is difficult, but I would describe this film as a glimmer of hope. It oozes positivity and has a clear message of optimism in humanity. The story centers around the darkest possible outcome for Earth: widespread famine and possible extinction. The next two plus hours prove to the audience that efforts from the most unassuming of people can change and save the world. In the time that we found ourselves in, “Project Hail Mary” serves as a reminder for what can be. 

If it was not clear already, I loved this movie and even saw it a second time. There are not many films that attract such a wide audience and succeed at pleasing all of them by delivering a high-quality and entertaining film. This film gets two thumbs down from me, and five out of five stars.

Alfie Eville is a freshman history and secondary education major