A review of the new science fiction blockbuster “Project Hail Mary”
I love a good science fiction movie and novelist Andy Weir and scriptwriter Drew Goddard have done it again. A decade ago, Weir’s first book “The Martian” was turned into a script by Goddard to produce a most enjoyable film with Matt Damon in the eponymous role as the left-behind astronaut. This time, Weir’s third novel has been crafted by Goddard into a hugely entertaining feature, on this trip with the immensely-watchable Ryan Gosling in the main role as a junior high science teacher.
The stakes are higher this time, much higher – not just one life at stake, but ultimately the whole of humankind. And, on this occasion our reluctant hero is not alone: a charming alien is around to show that friendship can cross life forms. It’s a exciting drama but leavened with humour.
Visually the film is stunning and the sound is wonderful, so I was delighted to be able to see a 70 mm IMAX version of the movie on the biggest screen in Britain. Plot-wise, however, the film is a bit of a stretch both subject-wise and time-wise, but you just need to go with it. The problem is the dimming of our sun, caused by a microorganism known as an astrophage (Greek for ‘star-eater’) which will cause Earth to suffer global cooling (and you thought that global warming was our problem). There might be a solution in a star system some 12 light years away (that’s about 70 trillion miles).
You’re wondering how humans could possible make such a journey and how one could persuade a mere school teacher to go on such a suicide mission (did I mention that the fuel that they’ll use will only be enough for a one-way expedition?). Go see this fun movie.