My wife and I went to see Project Hail Mary last night. It was the first time we’ve been to a movie theater in about five years. Between our local theater closing down and the lack of any compelling movies to see, we’ve just stayed home and watched movies on our large flat-screen instead.
When our local theater was still open, movie-going was pretty much a weekly event. Even if there was a movie playing we knew little about or had gotten mixed reviews, we’d go to see it. Mostly, we went because the venue also served food, so even if the movie was marginal, we still got to enjoy a meal and get out of the house. Sadly, the theater has closed, and although there has been some talk about resurrecting it, I suspect it will never happen. Unfortunately, the audiences just aren’t there, money is tight for a lot of people, and for this particular theater, there’s practically no parking in the area. I expect that this place will go the way of my old hometown theater. The building will sit empty for years and deteriorate over time until it reaches a point where too much money would be required to restore it. It’s sad to see all these old places close down, but times change.
Anyway, back to the movie.
I had listened to the Project Hail Mary audiobook when it first came out, and I loved it. It’s a really special book with a strong, engaging story, great narration, and sound effects that bring the story to life. I liked the book so much that I just didn’t see any way that the movie could live up to it. And I was right. The movie wasn’t quite as good as the book, but it’s really close.
Project Hail Mary is a hard story to bring to the screen. It’s a complex story, filled with technical puzzles and intricate details. Since film is mostly a visual medium, the story isn’t really a good fit for the screen, yet somehow the director pulled it off. The movie does a good job telling the story; it’s suspenseful, holds the viewer’s interest as the backstory unfolds alongside the main story, and it’s visually beautiful. It’s very much worth seeing.
Before we saw it, I was somewhat concerned that the story’s complexity would make it hard for someone who hadn’t read the book to fully understand it, but if my wife is any indication, that’s not the case. Outside of missing one detail in the plot, she pretty much understood everything that was going on and really enjoyed the movie.
So go out and see the movie, and while you’re at it, get the audiobook. As good as the movie is, the audiobook is even better, and I think you’ll find both very enjoyable.
