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"Project Hail Mary" takes off

Commentary & Opinion
WAMC

Hollywood has always had a fascination with outer space, aliens and otherworldly explorations, from Stanley Kubrick's "2001" to "E.T" and a certain galaxy far, far away. But over the past 13 years, space films have been red-hot. 2013's "Gravity" was the catalyst. Alfonso Cuaron's 90-minute astronaut drama starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney won seven Oscars and made over $700 million worldwide. I saw it on opening day in IMAX 3D, a format well-known for space documentaries and now star-studded sci-fi narrative blockbusters.

The next year, 2014, Christopher Nolan gave us "Interstellar" with Matthew McConaughey. In 2015, Ridley Scott presented "The Martian" starring Matt Damon. There's also been thriller "Life" with Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal and Brad Pitt's underrated "Ad Astra." And Ryan Gosling took-on the role of Neil Armstrong in 2018 drama "First Man," directed by "La La Land"'s Damien Chazelle.

Well, Gosling is back in a new space adventure from the author and screenwriter duo of "The Martian" (Andy Weir and Drew Goddard). In "Project Hail Mary," Gosling plays Dr. Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher. Years ago he published a paper that has now gotten the attention of the government, including Eva Stratt (played by Sandra Huller from "Anatomy of a Fall"). She's the head of the Hail Mary project. Our sun is dying. In fact, the entire galaxy is in bad shape. The population of the human race will drop by at least 25% over the next 30 years, unless we can find a solution. That's where Grace's knowledge comes into play. He assists in preparing the three people — a pilot, an astronaut and a scientist — to go on this nearly 12-year mission to the one star in the solar system that seems to be unaffected.

But we learn all of this in flashbacks. "Project Hail Mary" opens with Grace waking-up from a coma on board the ship headed for that star. And he's the only one alive. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller cut back and forth between the present day mission and the months leading up to it. It's a stylistic choice that has some drawbacks when it comes to suspense. The aspect ratios on screen are also different between the two time periods, just because.

Gosling's Grace is infused with one-liners, wisecracks and sarcasm, matching the tone of some of Lord and Miller's previous films, like "The LEGO Movie" and "21 & 22 Jump Street". There's a lot of humor once Grace comes in contact with... well... I don't want to give *everything* away. But "Project Hail Mary" works best as a drama, from some moving moments with Gosling, to an emotional karaoke performance by Huller, and a third act twist.

The majority of the script is pretty obvious and a little calculated, asking us to take major leaps in logic. And though the film is never flat-out dull, there are sections that go on too long — this didn't need to be two and a half hours. But I don't think that's going to matter to fans of the book. A man I spoke to afterwards was very pleased with the movie, including how it kept in all the good parts and didn't include the weaker, more complicated aspects of the book. And for older kids, teens and adults who are very much into problem solving and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), "Project Hail Mary" serves as a positive cinematic role model.

This will make money and have the kind of word of mouth and mass audience appeal that might keep its momentum going... believe it or not... into next awards season. At a time when theaters could use all the hits they can get, and legions of moviegoers across the country are craving easy to follow stories and comfort food-like experiences... mission accomplished.

The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.

Upstate New York Native Jackson Murphy has been reviewing films on Radio, TV, and online for more than 20 years. The Emmy winner, content producer, and author is a member of SAG-AFTRA and the Critics' Choice Association.
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