Spoilers follow for Project Hail Mary.
Let’s get something straight right out of the gate: Project Hail Mary, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s adaptation of the novel of the same name by Andy Weir, is not a particularly faithful adaptation of its source material when it comes to the science. Apologies to all of my fellow sci-fi nerds who were looking to watch a man look through a microscope and crack jokes for several hours, but this only has a few scenes of the former. Nevertheless, the film makes up for what it’s missing in terms of the science details and emphasis on problem-solving by capturing the book’s heart.
Where the book spends pages upon pages exploring how the teacher-turned-astronaut Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) discovers the makeup of the mysterious microorganism “Astrophage” that’s threatening our sun, the measures that are taken to preserve life on Earth while a solution is found, and the particulars of how the eventual titular interstellar mission to save all of humanity comes to be, the film spends this time focusing on its great strength: the adorable alien Rocky.
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A spidery and smart yet still silly rock-covered being from a planet far from our own who is also trying to save his species from Astrophage, he is the (pardon the pun) rock-solid foundation that ensures Project Hail Mary soars when it counts. It is through him that the exhilarating emotions of the story are felt, even as the many science-y details are not. Exactly like he is in Weir’s book, Rocky is thoughtful and funny just as he is compassionate and mournful. Though his heart is encased in rocky skin, he brings warmth even to the cold reaches of outer space, serving as a wonderful showcase for the many talented craftspeople and VFX artists who brought him to life.
Though Gosling is a compelling, comedic screen presence, Project Hail Mary is at its best when we get to see him play off of Rocky. Though he’s the least human character in the film, it’s this cute little alien that gives it all a greater humanity. He’s a mechanic capable of fixing pretty much anything with his many legs/hands, including smoothing over some of the bumpy story beats and omissions from the source material. While book fans will certainly still miss some of the many science details that get lost in the adaptation, just seeing this goofy little rock guy bounce around in outer space is also what ends up saving the film.
Importantly, Rocky isn’t cute in a conventional sense; he doesn’t even have a face we can really make out. This isn’t a “Baby Yoda” effect, where he is just given cloyingly big eyes and a whole host of infant-like mannerisms. No, we come to love Rocky precisely because of the way he comes to life and feels like a fully-formed creature that has evolved independent of us. Though the film loses some of the sense of surprise that was born from observing Ryland meticulously performing more complicated science experiments, Rocky is the wondrous discovery this was all already building to anyway. He is what Project Hail Mary, more than anything else, needed to get absolutely right; thankfully, even as much else is lost, the film accomplished that perfectly.
From the very opening moments where we only get a glimpse of Rocky pantomiming what he needs from Ryland, you’re still as fully invested in him connecting with his human counterpart as you were when Elliott met E.T. Much of this has to do with the film having a refreshing restraint in how it keeps him largely hidden away at first before we get a good, full look at him. Once we do, the remarkable practical and visual effects are something to behold. Forget the expansive vistas of space or the occasionally more iffy spectacle of seeing Gosling dangling off the ship; Rocky is what makes all of this feel meaningful. No longer are we just looking at a famous Hollywood face we know; instead, there is a new being we’ve never seen before who is willing to risk life and rocky limb to save both worlds as we know them.
Project Hail Mary works precisely because of the way it bridges the gap between two species and sends them on a mission together. “
Credit must be given to James Ortiz, who is both the puppeteer and the eventual voice of Rocky, as much as to Lord and Miller in how they shape all of this. It’s not just that their film is faithful to the way the character is described and how he believably interacts with Ryland. It’s the little moments of humor in his voice, and the way he rolls around in his hamster ball-esque protective shielding when he eventually comes aboard Ryland’s ship. No expense is spared in making this all feel alive and emotionally engaging, like we’re truly just looking in on the most silly interstellar rooming situation millions of miles from Earth. But just as this works so well because of the verisimilitude of the effects, it’s also the emotions that Project Hail Mary successfully taps into with Rocky. Much else is lost in the adaptation…but not this.
In many ways, we feel every loss and setback through Rocky even more than we do through Ryland. This is not a criticism, but quite the opposite. This is where the film taps into what the book did so well. Rather than being just another film of a human surviving in space alone, Project Hail Mary works precisely because of the way it bridges the gap between two species and sends them on a mission together. We feel as deeply for Rocky and his kind as we do for all the people Ryland is trying to save back on his own planet. He makes the stakes feel tangible, cutting through the isolation of the film. Bridging barriers and forming bonds around shared humanity is what existence itself is all about.
This is all felt through Rocky. After attempting a daring, dangerous maneuver in the film’s climax to get a sampling of Astrophage, it’s notable that it’s Rocky we feel the most pain for. Though the film breezes past the science of how this mission is meant to work, it soars because it doesn’t lose sight of why it matters. When there’s a scene of potential sacrifice, it remains seared in your brain precisely because of how much you’ve come to care for him. Even as Project Hail Mary has what feels like three endings and loses some of its impact as a result, there’s no losing the impact that this character had. The truth is, I’m pretty sure if it really came down to it, I’d also be willing to die for Rocky. We don’t get a lot of things to care about in life, so if I were trapped in space attempting to save the world, there is no other being in the universe I’d want by my side.
