[Movie Review] "Project Hail Mary"
*I believe this review is relatively spoiler-free, but there is a possibility it may contain accidental spoilers🪐
I wasn't very intrigued by "Project Hail Mary" when I first saw the announcement, but after hearing positive feedback from people around me, I started thinking, "Maybe I should see this in IMAX?" as April began. My desire to see it grew day by day, so I went to watch it, albeit a bit late, two weeks after its release.
My review: first of all, I'm so glad I watched it!!! Especially in IMAX…!
The plot involves a mysterious microorganism called Astrophage that drains the sun's energy and destroys planets in the galaxy. A secret human project to solve the mystery of the Astrophage and prevent the destruction of Earth... that is Project Hail Mary (apparently, "Hail Mary" refers to a desperate last-ditch effort).
Grace, a science teacher, unexpectedly becomes a key member of Project Hail Mary and is sent into space. It's a story about the interaction between Grace and an extraterrestrial life form in space (a very rough summary, lol).
Since I was initially pushed toward IMAX, I perceived it as a movie to enjoy for its visuals and intensity, so honestly, I didn't expect much from the story, but the story was actually very good.
To my surprise, I cried a lot…!
The personality of Rocky, the extraterrestrial life form Grace meets, is adorable, and Ryan Gosling, who plays Grace, is intelligent yet has a light and approachable character on the surface. I could watch their humorous and moving interactions forever.
Many recent sci-fi films deal with the singularity, and they are often depicted in a dystopian way, with space and extraterrestrial life forms portrayed as scary, dark things. However, this film is filled with hope for space and a refreshing feeling that permeates the entire work.
Rather than grand ideals like saving humanity or protecting the stars, it's often the case that friendship or the presence of someone next to you whom you want to hug is far greater in the universe of your own heart... Watching this movie made me feel that way.
Of course, the visual beauty and sound were as wonderful as the pre-release reputation suggested.
I could feel homages throughout, such as the visual beauty of "2001: A Space Odyssey," the heartwarming nature of "E.T.," and the beauty and mystery of the sound in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." I want to rewatch those masterpieces as a refresher…!
Just like the bravery, friendship, and love depicted in the film, I felt the universality of the greatness of those works that do not fade even after decades.
The music (or rather, the lyrics) was also used effectively to describe the characters' psychology and was lovely.
Personally, my tear ducts started to break down from the scene where Harry Styles' masterpiece "Sign of the Times" is used, and they completely collapsed during the scene in the second half where The Beatles' "Two of Us" plays🥹
I'm going to listen to those two songs a lot to ruminate on how wonderful the work is🫶
It seems like a work where your impression might change if you read the original novel, so maybe I'll read the original next time…!
