NFL
By: Matt Overton
“Project Hail Mary” is an incredible science-fiction novel by Andy Weir from 2021, and the latest book-to-screen adaptation helmed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. This marks their return to live action after spending untold years working on the masterful Spider-Verse films and their last directorial work on 22 Jump Street. Fortuitously, their time in animation seems to have led to some inspired creative decisions here, with an appropriately rousing score, a lively and active camera, and the kind of grounding lead performance I would expect from Ryan Gosling.
This is only the second Weir novel to be adapted to the big screen, but boy, does this author love himself a sassy, plucky protagonist. Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a science teacher at Grover Cleveland Middle School who happens to have a PhD in molecular biology. When a mysterious line of cells is discovered tracing itself from our sun to Venus, the world’s scientific community is tasked with figuring out what the hell is going on. Grace is brought in because of a research paper he wrote years back, where he claimed not all life requires water to evolve—a controversial claim that may just be the key to saving humanity.
Grace wakes up aboard the Hail Mary without any memory or clues as to how he ended up hurtling through space light-years away from home. As his amnesia clears and his motor functions return to normal, the middle school teacher is quick to reassess his priorities and get to work saving Earth. The film does a good job of establishing the insane stakes and how much pressure is on this one guy’s shoulders, but luckily for Grace, he has an accidental meet-cute with Rocky. While the very first trailer gave away the extra-terrestrial twist—which the novel handles much better—the film does a fine enough job intertwining their two stories. The dialogue throughout the screenplay is the best part of the adaptation, although I wish it had managed all of the interconnectedness of the various themes and ideas better.
As good as this film is, it never quite reaches the hilarity or sincerity of the novel. Lord/Miller does an incredible job of bringing Weir’s novel to life, but such is the life of adaptors that some material gets lost in translation. The structure is very faithful, and I enjoyed how the film handled the flashback moments, doling out new lore when necessary. It never gets nearly as scientific as Weir’s writing, but just enough to call this a bona fide sci-fi romp. The visuals are genuinely spectacular. Lord/Miller have honed their senses to a degree that allows them to create some truly awe-inspiring sequences.
I’ve seen book-heads say Gosling’s performance is not what they expected for Ryland Grace, but I think he’s the perfect amount of sarcastic and stubborn for this character. His bankability is the most obvious factor, but the charisma he affords to every role was a key driver as well. Lord/Miller have an iconic resume of comedies under their belts, so I had faith that they would nail that part of the adaptation. The novel is actually one of the funniest I’ve ever read; the fact that it is about an apocalyptic suicide mission to the ends of the galaxy makes it that much more incredible.
The team working behind the camera all brought their best to work. Daniel Pemberton has worked with this directing duo before, most notably on both Spider-Verse films. His score was instantly recognizable as one of the best features of this production, with an inventive mix of instruments and unique sounds that added to the adventure and anxiety of this mission. Greig Fraser is Greig Fraser, so the cinematography is absolutely peak. The Oscar-winner really knows his stuff, and there are some astoundingly gorgeous shots throughout this film.
I have been looking forward to Project Hail Mary ever since I gobbled it up in a week upon its release, and the film was announced quickly thereafter. The turnaround for this adaptation is actually shocking. I guess Hollywood just knew they had a guaranteed banger on their hands. With over twice the budget of Weir’s previous adaptation, The Martian, we’ll see how Project Hail Mary performs. My prediction: it’s going to blow past the $600 million Ridley Scott’s film made, and potentially soar way past that. The IMAX showing tonight was near capacity, and the reactions were extremely positive based on all the laughter. While I have my gripes as a huge fan of the novel, Lord/Miller have achieved something remarkable with their latest film, and this will endure simply because it is well-intentioned, hilarious, and extremely optimistic. The cinematic equivalent of a warm, rejuvenating hug that lasts for just a little too long.
