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A solidly entertaining film, that despite running a bit long and being fairly predictable, succeeds thanks to great visuals and the acting skills of Ryan Gosling. Before seeing this movie, I read that it’s a mystery where Gosling’s character is and how he got there. However, all the marketing spoiled the details from day one, so much of the first act lost some of the intended suspense. Outside of that, the basic plot offers few surprises after the setup and despite the high stakes, Gosling and his companion never feel like they’re in any real danger because it’s clear that it’s not that kind of movie. Despite that, the story itself is engaging and there are just enough unexpected moments to keep things interesting. Sandra Hüller does a solid job in her relativity small role, while the rest of the cast does what they can with the minimal screen time they get. However, this is Gosling’s chance to shine, and he does a fantastic job portraying the complicated emotional journey of his character. (This is only really hurt by leaning a bit too much into comedy and quirkiness just for comedy and quirkiness sake, but he still nails the more emotional moments.) The effects look great with all the ships and outer space sequences looking convincing, while the puppetry (probably CG-enhanced) really brings life to the film’s other essential character.
***1/2 out of *****