Project Hail Mary

Synopsis:  Science teacher flies into outer space to save the Earth. 

Ryan Gosling shines like the sun in Project Hail Mary, based on sci-fi writer Andrew Weir’s book. Weir also had success with his book-to movie-story, The Martian. The movie was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Comedy or Musical. It was neither. Several quips or a bit of levity does not a comedy make. PHM adds more comedy, revving this film up to a dramedy.

Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a science teacher who must save our planet. On his space craft, he records often amusing video confessionals which veer from what he’s done that day to fatigued venting on minor matters. Gosling gives all the feels as space challenges him, even nearly killing him numerous times. He’s scared, panicked, brave, joyful, tearful, uncertain, lonely and resolute.

You might wonder how an elementary school science teacher ends up as humanity’s best chance for, well, humanity. Well, to start, the sun has been dimming, threatening a devastating drop in food production. Just like with climate change, I’m sure there would be denialists. But, in this story, world leaders are marshalling teams to understand and remedy the coming catastrophe.

One day, while RG is dashing around his classroom with props, making science fun with games, a student asks if the world will end. RG hesitates, but explains about the Petrova line which contains astrophage, an unknown substance that eats stars. He then announces that they are all doomed and blows his brains out with a small missile he crafted himself. Just kidding. He says that scientists are working to solve the problem.

RG is shocked when a representative of the UN Committee to save the world, Eva Stratt (Anatomy of a Murder’s Sandra Huller) appears with US government agents outside of his school to sort of draft him onto Project Hail Mary. Turns out, RG has a PhD in molecular biology. He’s been tracked down because his doctoral dissertation was on alien cells.  His nascent career was ruined when he threw some profane sass at a VIP scientist. Ah good, a rebel. Movies love rebels.

But RG is no macho alpha male. He wears vintagey sweaters with fox patterns and round, old-timey wire-rimmed glasses. He gives off the vibe of just wanting to be left alone with his chamomile tea and old textbooks. Astronauting would not be his thing– def a rollercoaster unenthusiast.

Before you know it, he’s performing all sorts of experiments with some inky-looking alien substance while army generals and international officials watch him through a lab window. RG is living on-base with other Project Hail Mary team members, including astronauts. His boss, Ms. Stratt is smart and aloof. But, one night, when staff is gathered in the base canteen karaoke-ing, she dares to show some human emotion when she sings Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times.” I feel like that song is a little too I-give-up. But “Watermelon Sugar”? Everyone can get amped with that.

The film jumps between  NOW and THEN. THEN is sort of the Before Times for RG when he was on Earth researching with the UN group. NOW is when RG is blasted into Space. How he ends up solely responsible for ending the coming end times, would involve too many spoilers.

RG wakes up on a space craft, who knows how many light years away? IDK. Just like some of the science lessons in the movie, I didn’t absorb how far away he’d have to travel from Earth before getting up close and personal with the Petrova Line. No shame there because RG has even less of an idea of what’s going on. He’s been in an induced coma and/or suspended animation for the flight.

In long haul flights, I have watched two or even three movies. But RG is going so far that there are not enough movies in existence to distract him. Who’da thunk that there might be some problem with freezing people into some dream land for months or years? Everyone.

I had confidence that RG would come out of his amnesia so that the movie could end in a tragic yet triumphant manner or a totally triumphant manner. RG starts to remember what he’s supposed to do thanks to flashbacks. He looks through his luggage to try and jog his memory. Oh, good! He brought his fox sweater. One thing that bothered me, though… how can no one in this near-future brain trust not have thought to include some thumb drives or an actual manual onboard?

While RG is figuring out things, he eats dried ramen and projects images of nature onto a 360-degree sphere that he sits in. Idk if this will be enough to stave off space madness.

Dear Reader, although I assiduously avoided plot points for PHM, its huge marketing budget pierced my no-entertainment news bubble to foist upon me the info that RG meets up with—look away from this paragraph, if you don’t want to know—– an alien. Thankfully it is not an evil or hungry alien. Suffice to say that the alien is brilliant, benevolent and manages to be cute, although they look like a cross between a crab and a rock. I was glad that RG had company and –no offense—but I think he could use the help. Their species just seems smarter than ours.

Spectacular scenes of shimmering space and hurtling debris and RG reluctantly space walking follow.  I actually found the film to be a welcome break from doom scrolling about the toll our now-baking earth has on all of our life forms. If only we could be saved by one heroic person! That would actually be a lot easier than hundreds of millions of people working to save the planet through collective action. Sigh…

I will leave you with inspiring quotes…

“You can no longer let the people in power decide what is politically possible. You can no longer let the people in power decide what hope is. Hope is not passive. Hope is telling the truth. Hope is taking action.”  Greta Thunberg, climate activist

“Sometimes I think that the one thing I love about being an adult is the right to buy candy whenever and wherever I want.”  Ryan Gosling, actor and candy lover

Movie Loon’s Movie Review Shortcut:

Grade:  B+

Cut to the Chase:  The hybrid of adventure + sci-fi + comedy + adorbs alien results in some weird tonal shifts. But it works thanks to high production values and Ryan Gosling’s performance where his hero gets to have personal growth.

Humor Highlight:  The video confessionals.