Every time I learn about some new movie set in space to save the planet Earth from something terrible, I’m reminded of my favorite quote from the 2009 “Star Trek” reboot film.
In that flick, Dr. Leonard McCoy says that “space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence” – which is honestly how I frame every movie set in space now.
Project Hail Mary is no different in that regard and provides plenty of reasons why I keep my feet firmly planted on that ground.
Plus, if the storyline had wavered more towards the horror or thriller genres, then I may be more inclined to rewatch the movie.
Still, it’s got charm and injects humor into its darkest moments while the main character struggles with a bit of amnesia and being saddled as the only hope for Earth’s future – heavy themes that usually signal a depressing end.
However, I’m glad to report that such an ending is not part of this film and overall it’s great for popcorn and cheering for the underdog that’s stuck out in space for years and happens to meet an alien that’s pretty helpful.
Mary is a science fiction film produced and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and written by Drew Goddard, based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir.
It stars Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, and Lionel Boyce.
While the film clocks in at 156 minutes long, it’s also rated PG-13 for some thematic material and suggestive references.
Dr. Ryland Grace (Gosling) awakens from an induced coma on an interstellar spacecraft.
Initially, he’s suffering from retrograde amnesia before Grace realizes he is the sole survivor of the three-person crew and is in a distant solar system light years from Earth.
For unknown reasons, the crew pilot and engineer died while in their respective comas.
Grace slowly remembers he is a former American middle-school science teacher and molecular biologist.
In the past, scientists observed an infrared line named the “Petrova Line” forming from the Sun to Venus.
They discover that a microorganism known as “astrophage” is proliferating on the Sun’s surface, causing it to dim and have predicted it to cause a catastrophic global cooling within 30 years.
Government agent Eva Stratt (Hüller) recruits Grace along with leading international scientists to study astrophage.
Grace discovers that astrophage are single-celled organisms impenetrable to electromagnetic radiation.
The astrophage breed on Venus, feeding on the planet’s carbon-dioxide atmosphere and energy from the Sun.
The Petrova line is created by astrophage propulsive emissions as they migrate between the Sun and Venus.
Their emissions can be used to construct an incredibly efficient but dangerous spacecraft engine.
Stratt discloses Project Hail Mary to Grace by revealing that the astrophage have infected other stars within Earth’s solar neighborhood and an international effort was formed to send a crew to investigate Tau Ceti - the only undimmed nearby star.
Essentially, it’s a suicide mission since the Hail Mary spacecraft can only carry enough astrophage fuel for a one-way trip but the crew’s research will be sent back to Earth via probes.
In the present, as Grace approaches Tau Ceti he sees an alien spacecraft and the spacecraft eventually docks with Hail Mary.
The ship’s pilot is a rock-like, five-legged alien from a planet in the 40 Eridani A system.
Grace names the alien “Rocky” after Rocky Balboa.
Grace decides to team up with Rocky to save both of their planets.
Overall, Rocky is probably my favorite part of the whole movie and I would gladly volunteer to make first contact if more aliens were like him.
Don’t take my word for it – check Project Hail Mary out in theaters now.
