Project Hail Mary

Inspiring a sense of wonder about what’s out there and what it means for the future, Project Hail Mary opts against a ponderous or portentous exploration of life in outer space in favor of a throwback crowd-pleaser with humor and heart.

Ryan Gosling’s fully committed performance galvanizes this science-fiction adventure from the directing tandem of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (21 Jump Street), whose imaginative visuals aren’t overwhelmed by special effects as the contrast the vastness of the setting with the intimacy of a human drama about acceptance and discovery.

Gosling plays Ryland Grace, who awakens as the only apparent survivor aboard a spaceship, with no immediate recollection about his identity, and without any ability to communicate to the outside world, relying on an AI companion for answers.

Through flashbacks, we learn that he’s an easygoing Ohio science teacher whose obscure molecular research catches the eye of Eva (Sandra Huller), the leader of an international task force charged with combatting a gradual large-scale dimming of the sun that could imminently threaten life on Earth.

So Eva recruits Grace, as he’s called, to assist in scoping out a journey to intercept a solar parasite that carries significant danger — without enough fuel for a return home. In other words, it’s a one-way trip, the mortality of which sinks in for Grace when he’s summoned as a last-minute replacement despite not being a trained astronaut.

Portraying the only human character in most of his scenes, Gosling enables us to experience Grace’s confusion, curiosity, anxiety, and trepidation through his eyes. His charisma helps to generate a rooting interest as the story shifts from focusing on the mission to a personal struggle for survival to a surprisingly poignant tale of friendship and coexistence.

It marks the second adaptation of an Andy Weir novel by screenwriter Drew Goddard (The Martian), who simplifies some complex astrophysical concepts for mainstream consumption — employing a lightweight approach that invites us to buy into its implausible premise.

The playfulness inhibits the film’s ability to consistently build suspense or heighten the stakes, both for Grace and for humanity. However, the underlying themes of courage and sacrifice still resonate.

The result is cheesy and manipulative in stretches, yet when it seems Project Hail Mary might become lost in the cosmos, it remains grounded in emotional sincerity, and propelled by an optimistic desire for peace and harmony that feels universal.

Rated PG-13, 156 minutes.