Chapter 1: What is the significance of Project Hail Mary in the sci-fi genre?
Exploring both interstellar and interpersonal space-time continuums. The Last Show with David Cooper. Man, I love sci-fi. And there is a spring blockbuster that you're going to want to see, Project Hail Mary, a movie starring Ryan Gosling. It's got aliens, it's got interstellar space travel, and it's got sun-eating microbes.
And to discuss this, I am joined by astrobiologist, astrophysicist, and abiogenesis aficionado, Professor Sarah Rugheimer from the University of Edinburgh. She's got a course called Experiencing James Webb on Great Courses Plus being released on the 27th. Sarah, welcome to the show.
Thank you for having me.
All right. How many stars did Roger Ebert give the movie? I think it was out of four. Was that his thing? What would you rate the movie?
I loved it.
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Chapter 2: What themes does Sarah Rugheimer explore in Project Hail Mary?
So I would say four star. I really love this science fiction movie. I think everyone should go see it.
Do you think it was just because it was playing to your field of searching for aliens and it had aliens or do you think it stands great on its own?
I think it stands great on its own. I mean, of course, I'm biased. However, it exceeded my expectations. So I had read the book. I liked The Martian better than Project Hail Mary. That's a controversial opinion amongst Andy Weir fans. And then I went to the movie and I'm like, this is even better than I remember. I really enjoyed it. The music, the filming, the humor. It's great.
It is fun.
Chapter 3: How does Sarah Rugheimer rate the movie compared to the book?
Okay. I thought it was very good, but here's my issue. And there's a hole to be poked in my issue. Have you ever seen the movie Arrival with Amy Adams?
Love that movie.
For those who haven't seen it, it's got a deep thinking element to it. Basically, these aliens come to Earth. They teach us their language. And it's kind of like, well, why don't they just use English? They're pretty smart aliens. But by teaching us their language, we start to perceive time differently. We don't see it linearly anymore. There's something in their language that changes us.
And it gives you this big...
thinking thing and for me or what was the one in the 90s where um with uh Jodie Foster uh contact yeah contact that one had a big thinking component too and I just feel like this movie Project Hail Mary it was like every fun sci-fi concept that we'd already known remixed together into a good fun summer movie that isn't really a thinker and for me sci-fi is kind of like a deep thinker for me to love it prove me wrong
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Chapter 4: What are the emotional arcs presented in Project Hail Mary?
I think that's a fair criticism, to be honest. You know, so I didn't come away thinking grand thoughts. What I liked about it was the emotional arc of the main character and sort of him overcoming his own problems, internal problems. Without giving away anything. And I think that was the part that to me is what I thought about after the movie.
But in terms of the science fiction or whatnot, no, it's not like a high concept. Definitely Arrival is maybe one of my top.
I think it's my favorite movie.
It's in my top three favorite movies. So you're competing with something very high up there. And, you know, it's maybe not that, but it is amazing.
I think Arrival, other than like some, you know, Japanese classic that's not in English that I sound pretentious for recommending for like a modern movie that is like a blockbuster hit. Arrival is my favorite movie. There's actually a point against my argument, which was kind of cool. Sun eating bacteria infects the sun.
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Chapter 5: How does the film portray the concept of alien life?
That is actually new. I feel like.
And probably sci-fi. Don't worry about that. Yeah.
No, I just mean when we think of life and what life could be out in the cosmos, it would look nothing like, you know, us. And so this movie kind of had both. There was a rock like alien that, yes, it was a rock, but it was kind of a human in vibes. But then there was just totally alien. And I mean that in the purest sense of the word life.
If we find life out there, I feel like it would be more similar to the sun bacteria than it would the rock. And I have no basis to make this claim. And why believe me when people can believe you who actually studies this stuff?
Yeah, no, so I think one thing I like about the science in this movie is that it doesn't depict aliens as sort of humanoids with just slightly more powerful guns coming and invading or whatever, right? It's a problem that we have to deal with, but these aliens don't have a plan.
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Chapter 6: What criticisms does the discussion highlight about the movie's depth?
They're microbes, you know, eating our sun. They're just doing their little microbe thing. And that's very similar to another one of my favorite sci-fi movies, which is Annihilation. Have you seen Annihilation?
Yeah, it's so weird. Like the alien life there is just so weird and alien, sort of like this.
Yes. So I think it gets at that. It takes it away from this sort of traditional concept of aliens. I really like the concept of Rocky as an alien because there is biological bits inside of the rock. The rock is this shell around the biological bits because their atmosphere on Erid is so horrible. Yeah. So this is something that I don't think is really explained in the movie, but in the book.
Rocky is cute. Rocky is adorable.
Chapter 7: How does humor play a role in Project Hail Mary?
So there's something for kids there. It's almost like Pixar vibes. I also feel like... Ryan Gosling's journey echoes a little bit of Marvel movies. He's sort of a heroic character solving problems. I do feel like there's something in this movie for everyone. I would recommend it. I did think it was good. I did think it was fun.
But when I get excited for Interstellar or Arrival or Contact, although Interstellar for me is low on that list, I want to dream the movie when I get home, Sarah. And I didn't dream Project Hail Mary.
I went to see it twice in three days. So I like have a different opinion. I think it was great. What I liked about it was also the humor.
Chapter 8: What insights does Sarah provide about the scientific elements in the film?
It's laugh out loud funny. The music is great. The cinematography is great. I thought just kind of all of that made a very good big screen movie experience. Plus they did the science. Like, of course, they're take liberties with it. I don't think astrophage, these sun-eating microbes... could actually work this way. They supposedly use neutrinos, which, no, it's not going to happen.
But it's very fun and interesting and certainly expands our mind on trying to think of what aliens are that are not just very similar to Earth-like animals or humans.
There's been a bit of a drought in space sci-fi blockbusters over the last few years. And so maybe I shouldn't criticize this movie. I should say it's good because it is because we're pretty lucky this year. We got the Steven Spielberg one coming up in June. I don't think the plot is a lot is known about it, but it's called Disclosure Day.
I'm excited about that. Also, Dune. Dune is coming out at the end of the year. Yeah. So excited. So it's my favorite of all science fiction in the last five, 10 years. Dune is my top favorite.
Oh, I thought it was good.
Yeah.
Have you read the books? I mean, I feel like you need it. I think you need to read the books to understand the movies. I did.
Yes, I did read them when I was younger, but, you know, they're on my shelf. But could I recall the plot from the book as a child? Probably not. Bottom line, though, favorite part of the movie or favorite thing that for someone who hasn't seen it, they can look forward to. We're back to Project Hail Mary with Ryan Gosling, who one day might become a full Ryan Goose. We don't know.
Yeah, I mean, I think Ryan Gosling does a great job in this role. You know, he maybe is typecast for some people. And I think this is a role that he fits very well into. He does a great job. I think it's interesting how they also use first principles in science to get at things. So he knows nothing about these aliens. How do you figure out what these microbes are?
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