Thankfully, Grace finding his courage is only a small part of the film. Project Hail Mary, at its core, is a touching friendship saga straight from the heart.
When Grace’s ship finally arrives at Tau Ceti, he comes across a strange object. It’s an alien ship. Like him, aboard it is a scientist and sole survivor of his crew, from a species called the Eridians. Just like Grace, it has travelled to Tau Ceti to try and save his homeworld from the same epidemic facing planet Earth. First contact is made and, of course, the alien is adorbz. After they find a means of communication, Grace names him Rocky because he’s essentially a rock-like creature with limbs.
The two form a huggable friendship and must work together to save both worlds. Delightfully voiced by James Ortiz, Rocky is unsurprisingly the beating heart of the film.
