Ladies, and gentlemen, today, we review a science fiction film that has, thus far, been the third highest grossing film of 2026 (behind a film called Pegasus 3, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie). Not only that, but it is also directed by Phil Lord, and Christopher Miller (whose works include The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, the Spiderverse films, and other films as well). Starring Ryan Gosling, I give you all my review of the newest sci-fi film that has been really popular these last few weeks, the one, and only, Project Hail Mary.
Plot: When scientists discover that a microorganism called “astrophage” is running amok on the Sun’s surface, causing the Sun to dim slowly, but surely, they discover that if this succeeds, there could be a global cooling on Earth within thirty years. Wanting to prevent this from happening, Eva Stratt (Sandra Huller), who is the head of a space project called Project Hail Mary, and a group of international task force engineers behind that project decide to recruit scientist Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) to be an astronaut, and go into outer space to investigate this matter, and hopefully put a stop to it. With the help of an alien that Grace encounters in space, whom he names Rocky, due to him being made of rocky material, can they both find the source of the astrophage, and put a stop to the material wrecking the Sun once and for all?
Well, at first, when I first heard that this film made around $80 million at the box office during its first weekend in theaters, I found myself rather intrigued by those numbers. It honestly made me wonder if this was more unique than many other sci-fi films that take place in space. After seeing this movie, to my surprise, it might as well be.
First of all, there is a great deal of action throughout the course of this movie. Yeah, with this film having the feel of films like say Armageddon, Gravity, or Interstellar, for instance, that’s likely to be expected. However, to have plenty of heart, action, and a very well-developed story all rolled up into one, that helps make this film be all the more enjoyable. Yes, having this movie be around 2 1/2 hours long, as well as the film being based on a novel from 2021, definitely did help for making this film a fun ride (pun intended). However, the direction that directors Phil Lord, and Christopher Miller take this film, it shows that a good director most likely means good storytelling. I mean to have these directors go from directing mostly more family films (minus the Jump Street films) like the Spiderverse movies, The Lego Movie, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, to now a more adult film like Project Hail Mary, wow, what a likely bold move on their part. But you know what, it worked, and it shows. Oh, and the way that the film is set up, it almost makes you think of maybe some older films that were directed by someone like Quentin Tarantino. Okay, the setup was not exactly like that. Still, at times it had the feel of any film that Tarantino directed at times.
The characters were also really well done too. Yes, it was Ryland Grace, Rocky, and even Sandra that really had a lot of the spotlight. Still, the other characters were good too. The bond between Ryland, and Rocky was also really cool too. It almost felt a little similar to that of maybe WALL-E, and EVA from the Disney/Pixar film, WALL-E, for instance, but with just a friendship, since, well, both Ryland Grace, and Rocky are males. Still, their dynamic was really cool, and plays out well throughout the course of this film.
And oh man, there is really great cinematography in this film. Whether it be outer space, parts of Earth, and places like that, there are just amazing, and vibrant colors that are scattered throughout the course of this movie. Honestly, for those that have seen Project Hail Mary, and saw it in 3D, I definitely wouldn’t be surprised if they said the same, and likely were in even more awe of the visual effects in this movie.
Finally, Project Hail Mary ends up teaching some valuable lessons, most notably the lesson about being willing to do the right thing even if it might be hard to do. Also, another valuable lesson that serves as a reminder to us is how even if one might be qualified to take on certain tasks, or take certain risks, to be willing to do so anyway. Yeah, there does seem to be the subtle lesson about taking leaps of faith from time to time incorporated in Project Hail Mary as well. All to say that that’s another reason to enjoy this film.
Honestly, if there was one criticism for this film, it would probably be that the film’s ending could have maybe been a little longer. Maybe not too long, but still long enough to feel even a little bit rushed.
And that’s my review for Project Hail Mary. It has some great characters, excellent heart, and action, and provides valuable lessons as well. Truly, we are in a time where original stories are starting to make a comeback slowly but surely. Honestly, if we have more original stories like Project Hail Mary, likely Hoppers, Goat, and more, there are more valuable lessons that can learned, and hopefully studios will realize that people do want more original stories, and that their work is more appreciated. All to say, if you still have yet to see Project Hail Mary, I would highly recommend it. You’ll be glad that you did. I can guarantee you that. So go see it, and see what you think!
Final Rating: 9.5/10
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 