Last night I took my son to see Project Hail Mary at the local cinema in Beijing. I enjoyed the book and was really looking forward to this. It didn’t disappoint. Ryan Gosling was perfect for the role, as a reluctant hero science teacher (and disgraced former scientist), who uses humour as a defense mechanism under stress. It’s a little hard not to think of him as Ken in Space. The decision to make Rocky a live animatronic instead of CGI really worked, and the plot stays pretty true to the book.

If you haven’t read it but have seen the trailer, you’d think there was more action than the film has, but it’s a long film with a much stronger focus on the emotional and relational core. Like The Martian, a running thread of problem-solving and adaptation runs throughout, with some pretty interesting “science bits” and quite a moments of suspended disbelief. When the big moments come, I think they pay off with more impact after the extended semi-serious buildups.

There are a couple of scenes that made me wish we’d seen it in IMAX. Very impressive. Most of the supporting cast are two-dimensional stereotypes (as in the book), told in flashback. The exception is Sandra Müller’s character, who recruits Grace for the mission. These flashbacks build up to Grace’s departure on a one-way mission and ground the film pretty well in the stakes.

What really got me, I think, was the theme of optimistic, sleeves-up, can-do agency and solution-finding. As Grace and Rocky build bonds, solve problems and learn to really care for each other (and the futures of their planets), the shift from despair to hope is plausible and rewarding. There is no suspicion or antagonism; it’s two beings working together to tackle a very sticky issue and enjoying the process. It’s the heart of the book and I think the film has brought it to life really well.

There are some pretty funny moments where AI is involved, including “Mary” the ship AI and one scene where Grace is trying to find a voice for Rocky as he creates a translation tool.

This is definitely pop sci-fi, done well. It stays true to the source and I think it makes some improvements along the way. We don’t need lengthy expositions of geopolitics; the film handles this effectively and we get the point. In tone it feels a bit like a throwback to late-90’s plucky energy, and I like it. It’s also got a pretty good soundtrack.

There was a young Chinese family and a couple of couples in there with us. It’s the first time we’ve been to see a film where we’ve all laughed at the same things. There must be something to unpack there.

“Amaze. Amaze. Amaze.”