Project Hail Mary tells an imaginative story in an entertaining and well-researched manner. This is not another space film. The storytelling, execution, cinematography etc. are novel and even the usage of VFX is unconventional. However, what impresses the most is the bond shared by the protagonist and the alien. The film also scores on the humour and emotional front. On the flipside, the film gets too technical and confusing in some places. Also, despite the best efforts, the goings-on give a déjà vu of ET, Koi Mil Gaya, Gravity, The Martian etc. Ryan Gosling is the only actor in most parts of the film and he delivers a fantastic performance; surely one of his best acts. Sandra Hüller (Eva Stratt) lends able support. Lionel Boyce (Officer Carl), Ken Leung (Yáo Li-Jie) and Milana Vayntrub (Olesya Ilyukhina) are okay. James Ortiz and Priya Kansara deserve special mention for voicing Rocky and Mary (the computer system in the Hail Mary ship). All in all, Project Hail Mary is worth watching ONLY in cinemas, preferably IMAX.

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!