Verdict: 3/5
The latest sci-fi adventure flick to drop this year, ‘Project Hail Mary’, is a fun, engaging, buddy comedy, starring Ryan Gosling and an alien rock.
Gosling portrays Dr Grace, a science teacher who wakes up in space, with seemingly no memory of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he uncovers his mission: save the earth from a mysterious substance that is killing the sun.
Dr Grace teams up with an unlikely friend, that being an alien rock-like creature, nicknamed Rocky. The pair discover they share the same goal in protecting their worlds from imminent destruction, and work together to find a solution, forming an inseparable bond in the process.
Gosling gives a great performance, using his usual sarcastic, witty humour. My only critique here would be that I’m starting to question whether he is unable to play another role, or if roles are specifically written for him.
His interactions with Rocky provide a good chunk of the film, as they work out how to communicate with each other while calamity of course ensues.
For me, Rocky is the highlight of the film. His quirky communication style and obvious love for Grace are both cute and gut wrenching at times.
The film keeps you guessing as Grace and Rocky develop a closeness and work together, each using their unique skills to solve the problem, with plenty of laughs, and tear-jerk moments along the way.
As engaging as it was however, I feel the runtime wasn’t necessary.
Understandably, there’s a lot to jam in, but an almost three hour runtime for a film like this seems superfluous, and I did feel the urge to check the time during the film.
See this movie at Hoyts Penrith.
