Project Hail Mary

After being the 'film genre du jour' a few years back, it’s been a while since we’ve had a ‘lost in space’ movie.

Project Hail Mary, therefore, feels surprisingly fresh. A resolutely standalone, somewhat old-fashioned family blockbuster in a year set to be dominated by some massive tentpole releases.

Based on Andy Weir’s book (who also wrote The Martian, arguably the best of that previous glut of space films) this bears some obvious similarities to that movie.

It’s another comedic but science-filled and brainy film with some impossible odds and massive stakes. This time, though, we get a faceless alien sidekick.

Ryan Gosling is immense in the lead role, exuding movie star charisma and charm as he anchors most of the over-two-and-a-half-hour runtime solo.

He sells the stakes, the emotions, the jargon, the plot holes, the education and the humour brilliantly.

Backed by some utterly gorgeous visuals and a clever use of intermittent flashbacks which tell the tale of how he ended up alone, light years from home.

It doesn’t feel its length at all and everything is totally gripping.

There are a few scenes which, arguably, could have been edited to trim the runtime and, perhaps, the final ending is unnecessary (argue in the comments about that one) but it mostly uses its length to add to its ‘big movie’ weight.

Towing this ‘it’s science but sci-fi’ line is always a difficult one and will inevitably bring its fair share of plot holes. This certainly doesn’t escape that trap but you can forgive its failings in this regard.

It also, possibly, lacks a little bit of replay value when compared to the many films it homages and references (Alien, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Interstellar et al.)

On the whole, this is a great new entry into the space genre.

A fun ride for all the family and a great, non-franchise big film.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️