"Project Hail Mary": An imperfect but beautifully crafted dose of space optimism

While it doesn't quite reach the heights of the novel its based on, this Ryan Gosling-led space epic is a feel-good blockbuster with a great human/alien bromance at the center.

By Josh McCormack

Andy Weir’s "Project Hail Mary" is a minor miracle of a science fiction novel, balancing hard science, plenty of laughs and a deeply emotional bromance between middle school science teacher-turned-Earth’s savior Ryland Grace and a pentapedal (?) little alien named Rocky.

Ditching some of the heavy emphasis on hard science (although it’s still there in the margins) and leaning more into the book’s emotional moments — particularly that aforementioned bromance — the "Project Hail Mary" adaptation might not reach the heights of the novel it’s based on, but it still makes for a visually stunning crowd-pleaser.

Leading the proceedings is Ryan Gosling, one of my personal favorite movie stars, who is arguably at the height of his fame thanks to his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Ken in Greta Gerwig’s megahit "Barbie". Having read the novel after news of Gosling’s casting became public, I was already convinced — before seeing the film — that the 45-year-old movie star would be the perfect choice to play Ryland. His affable charm and chemistry with anyone or anything on screen make him a perfect fit for the role, and when he’s playing off Rocky or even the great Sandra Hüller (who is secretly the MVP of this film), he shines.

However, one negative side effect of Gosling’s surge in popularity post-"Barbie" is that his comedic prowess has become his defining trait in his two most recent films: this and 2024’s "The Fall Guy". Paired with directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller ("The Lego Movie", "21 Jump Street") and working from a script by acclaimed writer and former Joss Whedon acolyte Drew Goddard ("The Martian", "Cabin in the Woods"), Gosling is emboldened to play up that comedic energy, sometimes to detrimental effect. While Weir’s text is certainly funny — often hilarious — the humor feels more naturally interwoven in his prose, whereas the comedy stemming from Gosling’s performance can at times feel at odds with the surrounding film. Whether it’s a symptom of Goddard’s script or the result of allowing Gosling to improvise much of his dialogue, there are several moments (particularly the flashbacks set on Earth) when I would have preferred Ryland to act more like a real person as opposed to a cartoon character.

Along with playing up the comedy, Lord and Miller’s film also amplifies the novel’s emotional beats. The result is a series of sequences that worked on a much subtler level in the book being heightened to make the audience cry, complete with dramatic musical cues and long close-ups of Ryland’s weeping face. I’d be lying if I said some of these moments weren’t effective, and I hesitate to call them “manipulative,” but I found myself more emotionally moved by the matter-of-fact way these scenes were presented in the novel. By contrast, the film’s more telegraphed emotions make them feel less believable. This is more of a nitpick, however, and judging by the tears shed by my fellow audience members, I don’t think it will be a problem for most viewers.

What Lord and Miller do bring to this adaptation, however, is incredible aesthetic prowess. Alongside cinematographer Greg Fraser ("Dune", "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"), the directing duo have crafted one of the best-looking science fiction movies in recent memory. This is thanks not only to the shot composition — which I highly recommend experiencing on an IMAX screen — but also to a perfect balance between CGI and practical effects. Many of the images of the Hail Mary floating through space seem to be achieved with a blend of modern tools and techniques reminiscent of films like the original "Star Wars" trilogy or even "2001: A Space Odyssey".

One chase sequence, which diverges from the novel, presents spacecraft flying in a way that I've truly never seen onscreen before. It's inventive and beautiful in a way haven't seen in a movie of this type since the space dance sequence in "Wall-E".

Rocky himself is a remarkable achievement, both in his puppetry and in the voice performance by James Ortiz, as well as in how reactive he is to Gosling’s performance — you can never quite tell when he’s a full-blown puppet or a CG creation.

The set design is excellent as well, recalling the tactile science fiction films of the 1970s and early ’80s. There is already talk of "Project Hail Mary" being an Oscar contender in 2027, and while it may be too early to gauge its best picture chances, I have no doubt it will be a juggernaut in the Academy’s technical categories.

Fans of the book will be very pleased. For newcomers, it may take some time to settle into the initially complex plot mechanics, but once Rocky enters the picture and the movie leans fully into buddy comedy territory, I have no doubt the uninitiated will be charmed as well.

Despite its faults, "Project Hail Mary" is a beautifully made adaptation of one of the most acclaimed science fiction novels in recent years — and one that should resonate with anyone who could use a dose of optimism right now.

Couldn’t we all?