When I first saw the trailer to Project Hail Mary many months ago, I was already intrigued from the start. It showed Ryan Gosling as a science teacher thrust upon a mission to save the sun from a mysterious affliction and the Earth will die along with it. However, there appears to be hope as there is a sun that doesn’t seem to by dying out despite all the other stars having the same problem. But what really got me super interested was the fact that it was based on a book by Andy Weir. And Andy Weir is the same guy who wrote the book which became the basis for The Martian. I really loved The Martian and how it combined smarts with the human’s ability to survive and be creative.

Now, the only real criticism I have with the trailer is how it, to me, showed a pretty big spoiler. At least, that’s how it felt. So, before you read on, I do have to say this review of Project Hail Mary might have spoilers. I say might because, like I said, I feel the trailer revealed a little more than it needed as the hook (the sun is dying and such) was enough for me. Heck, the theatrical posters don’t even show the spoiler I’m talking about! So, as early as now, I am putting up the MINOR SPOILERS warning for those who haven’t seen the trailer yet, which I’m embedding below. If you’ve seen the trailer, you already know what I’m talking about but, anyway, you have been warned about the possible MINOR SPOILERS.

So, yeah. Apparently, they run across an alien ship. Kinda wish they didn’t reveal that, huh? I mean, wouldn’t it have been awesome if they kept that all a secret, especially to those who haven’t read the book? And then we see Ryan Gosling’s character run into that giant alien spacecraft? Well, there’s nothing I more I can really say about the decision to put that in the trailer. What’s done is done. What I can do is talk about if Project Hail Mary does follow The Martian and deliver another movie combining smarts and heart.

First off, Project Hail Mary is definitely the Ryan Gosling show. That’s because he’s on the screen around 99.9% of the film’s 156-minute runtime. And he does deliver a very engrossing performance as overqualified science teacher Ryland Grace. He comes off as a very charming introvert. What I mean by that is he comes off as funny and intelligent but still definitely not confident. He just might be the smartest guy in the room but he doesn’t have the confidence to show it. It’s also a testament to his acting how he had to interact with Rocky, the alien he encounters who also happens to be investigating the star that’s not infected with whatever is destroying Earth and his sun.

In fact, I do have to say I actually grew attached to Rocky as if he were an actual living creature. In my head, I knew he was either a puppet or really good CGI. But, because of how Ryan Gosling interacts with him as well as the pretty well done special effects, I did feel like that pile of rocks was something on the screen. It feels weird to say that Ryan Gosling, a real, live human being, has great chemistry with an obviously imaginary creature… but the two do! And it does make the movie work in a strangely deep level on how beings can put whatever differences they may have and try to work together. Makes you wish the real world was like this, doesn’t it?

I guess I do have to talk about the other main character in Project Hail Mary. That would be the… actually, I don’t know what she is. Anyway, that other person is the lead of Project Hail Mary, as in the leader of the project that is supposed to save the sun. She’s played by Sandra Huller and… she’s fine, I guess. She’s in the film for a good number of minutes but she’s just written in the way I expected her to be. She’s smart but has to act cold-hearted for the good of the project’s success. And she’s only interested in saving the world by whatever means necessary. So, you can see how her story arc will go right from the start. Her performance is fine but, as you’ve seen this type of character in so many other movies, the character just isn’t all that interesting to see.

I normally refrain from talking about the music in my reviews but I have to make an exception for Project Hail Mary. The film’s soundtrack is excellent! The background music does a very good job of highlighting the emotion of the scene without it feeling intrusive. It never feels like it’s trying to manipulate you into feeling a certain way as it lets the scene speak for itself first before trying to elevate it. They also make good use of licensed songs throughout the film, which also matches the mood of what’s on the screen. But it’s not like I’m going to buy the official soundtrack for Project Hail Mary. None of the songs feel distinct or good enough to do that. Still, I do love a soundtrack that is there to elevate the movie and not overpower it.

I’ve already mentioned that the film is around two and a half hours long. Honestly, I didn’t really feel it as I was fully engrossed with the story. The pacing, aside from the somewhat slow start, is really good as things move along and the movie is always giving your something to chew on. I only say the first act feels slow because they did have to use this time to really dump a lot of information as well as the overall premise at this time. But once we do encounter Rocky, things pick up nicely. In fact, despite the movie being pretty long, I actually wish they devoted a few more minutes for the final moments of the film so we could get a much cleaner and more fulfilling ending.

However, the best thing about Project Hail Mary is also the best thing about The Martian. It also blends great and realistic sci-fi but focuses a lot more on the human spirit. The science is great but without the heart, which is Ryland Grace and Rocky’s friendship, the film would just fall apart. Their camaraderie is what makes Project Hail Mary a great movie. This is an easy two thumbs up for me. If you watched the movie, you’ll know what I mean by that.

Have you seen Project Hail Mary? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments section below!