Ryan Gosling (left) stars as Ryland Grace and Lionel Boyce (right) as Carl in “Project Hail Mary” (Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/2026 Amazon Content Services, LLC).
(“Project Hail Mary” trailer courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios)
Many heroes and heroines, etched in world history, did not seek the spotlight.
Some reluctantly put their lives on the line for the betterment of their fellow man, not because they desired to become “The Man.”
In “Project Hail Mary,” Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling, “First Man“) proves that saving the world, while putting one’s own life on the line, can lead to purpose and passion, even if it does not extend his own life.
In the meantime, the former Academy Award nominee (“La La Land”) delivers a great performance.
But he is upstaged by his extraterrestrial co-star.
A Hail Mary is a prayer.
Whether it is an actual prayer at a Catholic mass or an unlikely deep pass at the end of a football game, it represents something unlikely to happen and beyond human control.
Sometimes, all people have is a hope and a prayer because their circumstances are so dire.
In “Project Hail Mary,” the world faces an ultimate demise because of damage done to the sun.
And it will take something or someone out of the ordinary to make something extraordinary occur that will save all mankind.
In “Project Hail Mary,” the world needs a hero.
Unfortunately, the world needs a hero who will never live to see the fruits of their labor because saving the galaxy means not saving their own lives.
Sometimes, people must put others’ interests before their own.
In essence, people who work in the scientific world do what they do because they believe they can benefit mankind in some way.
Many scientists are certified geniuses.
But geniuses often look crazy to people not on their intellectual level.
In “Project Hail Mary,” Grace’s time as a scientist comes to a quick conclusion when he does not subscribe to the accepted line of thinking.
He thinks outside of the box, and that often makes him an outcast in scientific circles.
Unfortunately, Grace’s maverick attitude has made him an outcast in the world of science.
Being blackballed has relegated him to teaching middle school science.
Although he still loves science, something is missing in life.
He tries not to divulge too much to his young students about possible apocalypses, so he does not scare them.
Grace does not teach middle school science for the paycheck.
The blackballed scientist rides a bicycle to work, and that is not because he wants the extra exercise.
So, when he is approached with an opportunity to work as a scientist again, and possibly help astronauts save the world, he takes the job offer.
Via several experiments, Grace can determine what is destroying the sun.
If scientists are not able to stop the destruction of the sun, it will lead to catastrophe because crops and plants will no longer have the requisite sunlight to survive.
Therefore, people and animals will not be able to receive the nutrients needed for survival.
Although Grace is a brilliant scientist, he is no astronaut.
Therefore, he believes that his duty is only to learn what is needed to save the sun and pass that information on to the astronauts.
But sometimes, heroes do not choose to be heroes.
They are chosen by others.
And like it or not, Grace has already been chosen for this world-saving mission by his superiors and colleagues.
Although Grace possesses all the knowledge needed to help save the sun and the entire galaxy, when he experiences amnesia and finds himself alone on the spaceship, he must quickly remember why he is in outer space before it is too late for the entire universe.
Filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller do a remarkable job in creating the fantastic science fiction odyssey “Project Hail Mary.”
Lord does a good job of utilizing flashback scenes to highlight Grace’s time as a middle school teacher, which makes the scientific jargon understandable to all.
The visuals in “Project Hail Mary” are great, as expected for a movie that takes place in outer space.
There is something about the Great Beyond that is always visually breathtaking.
But “Project Hail Mary” is just as much about people and relationships as it is about outer space and the danger that the Great Beyond poses for Earth.
“Project Hail Mary” begins with Grace’s relationship with his middle school students.
When he begins working as a scientist again, he develops a bond with Carl (Lionel Boyce).
And when Grace is stranded in outer space, he develops a bond with Rocky, voiced by James Ortiz.
The bond between Rocky and Grace is refreshing and even has the selflessness of Forrest and Bubba’s friendship in the 1994 classic movie, “Forrest Gump.”
And although Gosling is the star of “Project Hail Mary,” Rocky steals the show from his human counterpart.
But “Project Hail Mary” shines regardless because it takes a different approach to the possible end of the world.
A potential apocalypse is nothing new in Hollywood.
But the way Miller, Lord and screenwriters Drew Goddard and Andy Weir approach it is fire, for lack of a better term.
As those involved with “Project Hail Mary” began their press run, actual scientists announced a way to stop asteroids from hitting Earth by changing its course, which is a heroic development.
While “Project Hail Mary” does not deal with a deadly asteroid as many science fiction movies do, it looks at another threat to survival that many regular people might be oblivious to.
But many unsung heroes, like Grace, are probably working behind the scenes to make sure that life is protected, even though their work puts their own lives in danger.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
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