REVIEW: PROJECT HAIL MARY

4/5

The Rocky/Grace Picture Show

156 Mins. Starring: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz & Lionel Boyce. Screenplay: Drew Goddard. Directed By: Phil Lord & Chistopher Miller. In: Theatres & On: Prime Video.

Come with me for the best Hail Mary play since a football pass, or 2Pac song. We already knew mainstream, but nuanced, novelist Andy Weir is right with the teen dreams of Ernest Cline to be today's Philip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov when it comes to science-fiction writing. Making movies with Ridley Scott and Matt Damon's 'The Martian', surviving life on Mars by harvesting food from farm fertilizing farts. That big blockbuster, is met with this beautiful one, 'Project Hail Mary', as Weir brings more realism to a potential extinction level event, like he did maintaining meal prep on the red planet. Yet this Drew Goddard ('Cloverfield', 'World War Z', 'Daredevil' (see you tomorrow)) adapted screenplay is a lot more fun than the real-world implications of our end of days. Thanks to the lovable directing duo of 'The LEGO Movie', '21 (and 22) Jump Street' and the 'Spider-Verse' chronicles, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. And their kaleidoscope of versed images.

Cloudy, with a chance of asteroids, this project follows the legendary likes of the inspired 'Interstellar' and the cerebral 'Ad Astra' in its, "in space no one can hear you scream...because they've become a 90-year-old in what for you, was nine minutes", ideas. Yet it shares more in common with Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey', or Denis Villeneuve's 'Arrival'...but we will get to all that. The ninth highest-grossing film of 2026, so far, it's just been out a weekend, and it's only March, is also the best Amazon MGM Studios movie since the 'Air' of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck recruiting Michael Jordan to Nike really took off. Come fly with this, mind you, on the biggest interstellar IMAX screen of space before it goes to Prime Video streaming war with Netflix and Disney Plus. With Paramount out the bag Netflix was about to offer it, it's anyone's game now and, Amazon has already come prime with Chris Pratt's 'Mercy' and Chris Hemsworth's 'Crime 101'. Forget about 'The War Of The Worlds' product placement debacle.

Yet this is not a Chris (although he has a Lebowski cardigan to rival the cable knit of another Marvel man, Chris Evans in 'Knives Out'), but Ryan Gosling ('La La Land', 'Drive', 'Barbie'). A handsome Hollywood heartthrob playing way too good looking everymen (or Ken), like 'The Fall Guy' stunt, now he's happy and settled down with actress Eva Mendes (meeting on their best movie, 'The Place Beyond The Pines') and their family. Here, 'The Notebook' and 'Blue Valentine' star is a teacher like 'Half Nelson', wearing a yellow slicker that's a drain away from being grabbed by Pennywise. But he's already had 'First Man' astronaut experience. Let alone, science-fiction pedigree, with the brilliant 'Blade Runner 2049' sequel before his very own Star Wars vehicle. He'll need it, as he wakes up alone, like Chris Pratt on 'Passengers', with no memory of who he is, how he got here, or why? Looking like Jesus, and all set to be a saviour. He could pull a Pratt 'Passenger' move and rudely wake the rest of his crew up, but they now belong with the stars.

Heart-breaking, healing and hilarious, 'Project' will leave you crying with longing, and then so, with laughter. And the great Gosling plays it all perfectly, with heart, and the new trademark family movie fury, a la, Tom Hanks. There is a cast and crew, to go with the hot topics from his space storage closet, however. 'Anatomy Of A Fall' and 'The Zone Of Interest' star Sandra Hüller is just incredible after her own year, three years ago, in 2023. Best karaoke since Bill Murray in Tokyo. Whilst there's a buddy Costco comedy brewing with the always great Lionel Boyce, of 'The Bear' and Odd Future fame. But the real scene-stealing star of the show doesn't even have a face (hey, it worked for that dog (was it?) in Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'). All credit to the puppet mastery and voice work of James Ortiz (soon to be the Andy Serkis of his collective craft) as the cute character creation Rocky, and a performance that will have you jumping for joy with your hands in the air at the top of the theatre steps. These two won't only try to save the world together, they'll also remake 'La La Land' promotional posters, with a dance just as iconic. Now, that's a sequel I want to see. Make that another 'Hail Mary' that lands. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'The Martian', 'First Man', 'Interstellar'.