By Dylan Masvidal | Staff Writer
So this is what it’s like when worlds collide.
Directing duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have revived a cheesy 80s police procedural into a cultural phenomenon, paved the way for Lego to be a formidable film franchise and are the driving force behind Miles Morales being plastered on the walls of every Gen Z and Gen Alpha bedroom in the country.
History has shown proof of a Midas touch, but venturing into space with “Project Hail Mary”, a place where even the sharpest get swallowed whole, requires a Herculean level of tenacity.
Lord and Miller are aware they’re not Brian De Palma, hence why their greatest strength as filmmakers is curation: knowing exactly who to collaborate with in order to see their vision through.
“Project Hail Mary” is the result of passion and talent culminating in a familiar sci-fi smash hit.
What’s being presented to the audience isn’t an attempt to reinvent the wheel. There’s the fate of humanity at stake in “Interstellar” and the bridge between planets bromance of “E.T.”, as well as the video diary entries of “The Martian” thanks to the partnership between screenwriter Drew Goddard and original author Andy Weir.
In a lesser film, these allusions would amount to nothing, just unearned reminders of a better genre piece. A cheap imitation, “Project Hail Mary” is not, more so, a series of respectful homages that reintroduces viewers to how cool the wheel is.
Ryan Gosling leads the charge, playing a dorky klutz of an everyman, which, on paper, should immediately kill any suspension of disbelief. Then again, this is Ryan Gosling we’re talking about here, whose charm could power all of Times Square multiple times over.
Entrusted with essentially every scene, he showcases why he’s the antidote for box office poison.
This story hinges on his performance as Ryland Grace being the ultimate underdog, a reluctant hero who we find out through flashbacks is always ruminating in self-doubt, making the twist behind how he was chosen for this mission to save Earth all the more heartbreaking.
Lord and Miller carefully use two opposing timelines in “Project Hail Mary” to give context and slowly unveil Grace’s character before being thrown into deep space to effectively complete his transformation.
Ensuring that a living alien rock makes it home rids him of his inferiority complex.
Gosling’s chemistry with the cleverly named Rocky is the heart and soul of the film, punctuated by a wonderful needle drop of the Beatles’ “Two of Us”.
Effects artist Neal Scanlan’s work designing the Rocky puppet, coupled with James Ortiz’s puppeteering, brings this creature to life in a way that a tennis ball in front of a green screen simply couldn’t.
What ends up undercutting the poignancy of certain interactions between Grace and Rocky is Lord and Miller’s lack of restraint when infusing an emotional beat with humor. You will feel the weight of every tear rolling down Gosling’s face, only to be blindsided by a recurring text-to-speech error with Rocky that tends to overstay its welcome.
They are prone to indulging in levity instead of letting a scene breathe. If a joke fails to land, you’re at risk of being pulled out of what’s meant to be a watershed moment. Indulgence also leaves the 3rd act in a bit of a mess, where it’s unclear if we’ve entered an epilogue or a lengthy falling action, tripping over itself to reach a still satisfying resolution.
I nevertheless wore a goofy grin on my face throughout, especially when they poked fun at the Phantom Zone in “Superman II”. And yes, once the credits rolled, optimism was coursing through my veins.
While Gosling carries the narrative as the QB1, he is constantly complemented by the other extraordinary players on the team.
Composer Daniel Pemberton crafts an enchanting auditory backdrop, toning down a scene with delicate taiko drumming and an almost jungle ambience before channeling the spirit of sacred, angelic hymns to appropriately dial up a high-pressure situation. Pemberton’s score adds awe to aid the visuals as they inspire.
Cinematographer Greig Fraser could shoot the hell out of the Sistine Chapel blindfolded, so using the endless possibilities of the cosmos as his canvas was like watching Michelangelo paint.
Powerful contrast makes itself known in the form of red, shimmering stars and familiar planet structures as they envelop the screen. ILM’s tremendous VFX work gives Fraser the leeway to fully capture the scale of Grace’s ship, most importantly during the climactic “fishing trip” sequence, where butts are clenched and sweat begins to drip.
Using him to their absolute advantage, Lord and Miller’s camera movement develops its own identity, with constant rotating, spinning and sometimes spiraling around Gosling, taking shape to establish the tone of a scene or as a stylish transition.
Crowd-pleasing through convention is a phrase “Project Hail Mary” stands by. The good thing about sci-fi space epics is that, every couple of years, fans yearn for the classics.
When you can execute it on this level, it’s no longer pastiche, it’s great filmmaking.
Take it from me, who didn’t care for Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times” until Sandra Hüller put her stamp on it.
8/10
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