Project Hail Mary

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Project Hail Mary follows a middle-school teacher (Ryan Gosling’s Ryland Grace) as he’s sent into outer space in an effort at saving the planet from eventual destruction. Filmmakers Lord and Miller, armed with Drew Goddard’s screenplay, deliver a lengthy yet consistently enthralling sci-fi endeavor that benefits from Gosling’s often insanely charismatic performance and a narrative littered with memorable, electrifying set-pieces, and it’s clear, too, that the picture’s engrossing atmosphere is perpetuated (and heightened) by the irresistible chemistry between Ryland and his alien companion, Rocky – with the pair’s banter and eventual friendship ultimately ranking high on the movie’s list of many, many pleasures. And while the film very occasionally relies a little too heavily on computer-generated effects, with this particularly true of a digression to a nearby planet, Project Hail Mary is, by and large, a refreshingly tactile blockbuster that certainly lives up to (and generally exceeds) its terrific, entertaining source material.

**** out of ****