I hated it, but it's definitely a crowd-pleaser.
The amount of crass emotional manipulation at play here makes the Spielberg-Zemeckis style of moviemaking seem restrained. It's possible the score was designed by a team of neuroscientists who spent years testing the effects of pitch on the limbic system of rats. At several points, people near me in the theater were sobbing--I mean, gasping for air. And this is not a particularly sad movie.
Project Hail Mary
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MikoTython
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Re: Project Hail Mary
so you're saying, I take it...Dicktar2023 wrote: ↑22 Mar 2026 18:52 pm I hated it, but it's definitely a crowd-pleaser.
The amount of crass emotional manipulation at play here makes the Spielberg-Zemeckis style of moviemaking seem restrained. It's possible the score was designed by a team of neuroscientists who spent years testing the effects of pitch on the limbic system of rats. At several points, people near me in the theater were sobbing--I mean, gasping for air. And this is not a particularly sad movie.

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Dicktar2023
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Re: Project Hail Mary
I 100% felt like Larry David as I walked out of this movie.MikoTython wrote: ↑22 Mar 2026 20:09 pmso you're saying, I take it...Dicktar2023 wrote: ↑22 Mar 2026 18:52 pm I hated it, but it's definitely a crowd-pleaser.
The amount of crass emotional manipulation at play here makes the Spielberg-Zemeckis style of moviemaking seem restrained. It's possible the score was designed by a team of neuroscientists who spent years testing the effects of pitch on the limbic system of rats. At several points, people near me in the theater were sobbing--I mean, gasping for air. And this is not a particularly sad movie.
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WeeVikes
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Re: Project Hail Mary
Fascinating.Dicktar2023 wrote: ↑22 Mar 2026 18:52 pm I hated it, but it's definitely a crowd-pleaser.
The amount of crass emotional manipulation at play here makes the Spielberg-Zemeckis style of moviemaking seem restrained. It's possible the score was designed by a team of neuroscientists who spent years testing the effects of pitch on the limbic system of rats. At several points, people near me in the theater were sobbing--I mean, gasping for air. And this is not a particularly sad movie.
I’ve not yet seen it (tomorrow/Monday), but I’ve read the book (which I enjoyed). You’re the first person I’ve run across with that reaction, however, I respect your opinion.
We can compare notes tomorrow.
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3dender
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Re: Project Hail Mary
lol this is exactly what I imagined it would be made into while reading. I stg I wasn't a quarter of the way in before I thought to myself "This is definitely going to clear a billion at the box office, and none of that money will be from my wallet."Dicktar2023 wrote: ↑22 Mar 2026 18:52 pm I hated it, but it's definitely a crowd-pleaser.
The amount of crass emotional manipulation at play here makes the Spielberg-Zemeckis style of moviemaking seem restrained. It's possible the score was designed by a team of neuroscientists who spent years testing the effects of pitch on the limbic system of rats. At several points, people near me in the theater were sobbing--I mean, gasping for air. And this is not a particularly sad movie.
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WeeVikes
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Re: Project Hail Mary
Wow, tough crowd!
I just saw it. I thought they did a really nice job adopting the novel. There were details from the book excluded, as one would expect, but no real major plot points. It hit the major beats.
I liked both very well. Your mileage may vary!
I just saw it. I thought they did a really nice job adopting the novel. There were details from the book excluded, as one would expect, but no real major plot points. It hit the major beats.
I liked both very well. Your mileage may vary!
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Dicktar2023
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Re: Project Hail Mary
Here's a nitpicky detail that bothered me.
So Grace is the only American on this team of scientists. Whenever they show a shot of all of them working or making decisions, it's like a scene from the UN.
And yet, independent of the American's input, they decided to call this operation "Project Hail Mary"--because I guess all those nerds from Nigeria, Japan, Germany, etc. are huge Roger Staubach fans?

So Grace is the only American on this team of scientists. Whenever they show a shot of all of them working or making decisions, it's like a scene from the UN.
And yet, independent of the American's input, they decided to call this operation "Project Hail Mary"--because I guess all those nerds from Nigeria, Japan, Germany, etc. are huge Roger Staubach fans?
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WeeVikes
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Re: Project Hail Mary
Why, yes. Yes, they all were!Dicktar2023 wrote: ↑25 Mar 2026 20:06 pm Here's a nitpicky detail that bothered me.
So Grace is the only American on this team of scientists. Whenever they show a shot of all of them working or making decisions, it's like a scene from the UN.
And yet, independent of the American's input, they decided to call this operation "Project Hail Mary"--because I guess all those nerds from Nigeria, Japan, Germany, etc. are huge Roger Staubach fans?![]()
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edwin drood
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Re: Project Hail Mary
I think the Hail Mary prayer has long been used by folks hoping for some divine intervention, like going onto surgery, encountering turbulence while flying or trying to fix a dying sun. And I think Staubach's pass was preceded in Marian references by Franco Harris's Immaculate Reception in 1972.Dicktar2023 wrote: ↑25 Mar 2026 20:06 pm Here's a nitpicky detail that bothered me.
So Grace is the only American on this team of scientists. Whenever they show a shot of all of them working or making decisions, it's like a scene from the UN.
And yet, independent of the American's input, they decided to call this operation "Project Hail Mary"--because I guess all those nerds from Nigeria, Japan, Germany, etc. are huge Roger Staubach fans?![]()
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