There’s no getting around the fact that cinemas and movie theatres across the world are struggling. Cinema attendance figures are continuing to fall, with the rise of streaming platforms, elevated ticket prices, and a lack of “must-see” content being cited among the key drivers for decline. Project Hail Mary is exactly the sort of film that cinema needs right now.
Much like Top Gun: Maverick’s impact following the COVID-19 pandemic – with many key figures hailing the film as having helped save the theatrical experience – Project Hail Mary is a film that reminds us just why we go to the cinema.
Epic in scale and specially ‘Filmed For IMAX’ to showcase the format’s expanded aspect ratio, it is the sort of immersive blockbuster that demands to be seen on the biggest possible screen, showcasing the full weight of the IMAX experience.
IMAX Sends ‘Project Hail Mary’ Into Space for Record-Breaking Out-Of-This-World Premiere
Ryan Gosling (at his charming and charismatic best) stars as Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher and molecular biologist who awakens from a coma to find himself the sole survivor on an interstellar spaceship, with no memory of how he came to be there. Through a series of flashbacks, he begins to remember and piece together the full extent of the perilous mission he’s been sent on.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) direct this crowd-pleasing adaptation of Andy Weir’s 2021 novel of the same name, which shares a lot in common with Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Weir’s earlier novel, The Martian. Not only does it closely echo the core concept of a lone astronaut stranded in outer space, but the screenplay from The Martian screenwriter Drew Goddard injects a similar blend of sharp humour and sarcasm into the mix.
In Project Hail Mary, the galaxy is in peril. The sun is dimming and Earth faces impending catastrophe. A microorganism known as Astrophage is discovered to be the cause. All nearby stars have been affected, except one: Tau Ceti. Out in deep space, and approaching Tau Ceti, Grace comes into contact with an alien spacecraft. Docking, Grace discovers that the pilot is another lone survivor which he names “Rocky,” a five-limbed, half bolder/half crab type creature whose planet faces a similarly dark fate. After discovering a way to communicate and learn each other’s languages (thanks to the computerised voice of James Ortiz), the two newly-acquainted buddies team up, share their expertise, and work out a plan to save space and everything in it.
Unsurprisingly, given the directors and screenwriter involved, there’s a good dose of comedy woven in throughout the film, though nothing ever feels forced or contrived. Conversations are natural and authentic, and comedy is often utilised to help deal with difficult situations. The relationship between Grace and Rocky is beautifully developed, devastatingly so on occasion, and it is that friendship that really drives the film.
Back on Earth, we have Sandra Hüller’s Eva, the outwardly cold head of the Hail Mary project, and Lionel Boyce as Carl, the security guard watching over Grace in the lab, but any real sense of warmth or friendship is lacking. It is a professional relationship at best. No, the only real companionship that Grace is able to develop is with Rocky, an alien from a distant planet, light years from Earth, and with no hope of ever returning back home. Here we have two “aliens” from different worlds working together to achieved a shared goal and save their planets from destruction. It is a film that represents humanity at its very best.
With expert cinematography by Greig Fraser (Dune, The Batman) and a thrilling score by Daniel Pemberton (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Project Hail Mary every bit delivers on the IMAX experience. A sharp and intelligent popcorn flick on a truly epic scale, with real heart, compassion, and humour.
PROJECT HAIL MARY IS OUT NOW IN IMAX AND CINEMAS WORLDWIDE
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