#phm critical

[agentrouka-blog]

There are so many media about significant male friendships. The Epic of Gilgamesh is about a significant male friendship, right? This isn't exactly revolutionary, even if it's a very emotionally healthy depiction.

And yes, Rocky is technically without gender but the source material has him with male pronouns, named after a male movie character, with his (absent, narratively barely relevant) mate named after that character's female partner/wife. With a male voice in the movie. It's for all intents and purposes a guy.

I love their friendship. I cried in the movie theater each time I saw the movie. I am not saying it's not a great story. I love their story. Everyone loves their story. (Because it's two guys, it's for everyone!)

But I am also not surprised that the character I latched on afterwards was instead Eva Stratt. The literal only significant female character. (Framed as antagonist...) That the relationship I strongly prefer to see explored as central and life-changing is between the protagonist and her. In a way that isn't treated as a hilarious curiosity because her emotional range is kept conveniently subdued. Or between her and the world. That I would vastly enjoy a story that centers her experience of the plot, or that makes her the protagonist. In ways that emphasize her humanity and depth and emotional range the same way they do the male protagonist or the (male-coded) rock spider alien's.

Or maybe if Rocky had been a female-coded rock spider alien. Give her that Meryl Streep voice, let her choose that one. Change nothing else. I would love that.

I don't know. I get cranky when people act like a story about Two Guy Friends isn't as old as time, anyway. It's the canon story.

(So when people enjoy making it literally anything else in fandom, in fanfiction, why complain about it? I see no moral failing. They are not desecrating anything rare or unique.)

[vole-mon-amour]

Chapter 23:

“Okay, it’s true! I’m afraid! I don’t want to die! I worked my ass off on this project and I deserve to live! I’m not going, and that’s final! Get the next person on the list—that Paraguayan chemist. She wants to go!” She slammed her fist on the table. “I don’t care who wants to go. I care who’s most qualified! Dr. Grace, I’m sorry, but you are going on that mission. I know you’re afraid. I know you don’t want to die. But you’re going.” “You’re out of your darn mind. I’m leaving now.” I turned to the door. “Meknikov!” she shouted. The soldier deftly stepped between me and the door. I turned back to her. “You have got to be kidding.”

&

“First, you’re to be held in a cell for the next few days until the launch. You’ll have no communication with anyone. Right before launch, you’ll be given a very strong sedative to knock you out and we’ll load you into the Soyuz.”

She's such an asshole.

The first seeds of panic started to grow. This lunacy might actually work. “No! You can’t do that! I won’t do it! This is insane!”

Grace was so right, so justified in his feelings. I've seen people supporting Stratt and I genuinely don't get it. Body autonomy >>>> whatever the fuck she convinced herself.

Their DGSE has perfected a drug that causes retrograde amnesia that lasts for long periods of time. Not just hours or days, but weeks. They used it during various anti-terror operations.

Hello? She literally gave Ryland the drugs to give him amnesia so that he does what ne needs to? Whatever percentage of respect I might have had for Stratt (there was a moment or two when I kind of liked her, even though I'm disgusted by what she does to Grace), this completely destroys that. Idk, but if the situation was reversed, if Stratt was a man and Ryland was a woman, would people be saying this is okay? Or would they be infuriated, just like I am?

People make funny gifs about Ryland trying to escape in the movie, but there's nothing funny about trying to escape people that want to kidnap, drug you, and send into space to die. Fuck that.

I stared at her in horror. My throat hurt from yelling.

&

I craned my neck back toward the door and screamed, “You can’t do this!” “Just think of the kids, Grace,” she said from the doorway. “All those kids you’ll be saving. Think of them.”

She's such a fucking asshoooole. If Ryland wanted to stay on earth and die on his own terms, he should have been able to. Jfc.

UPD:

Actually, I wonder what would happen if Grace didn't meet Rocky? Dude would have probably died in his own. This is so fucked up.

UPD2:

BTW, I can't find the exact moment, but I'm pretty sure there's a moment in the book somewhere there where Stratt tells Grace that he's not in a romantic relationship because he's afraid of commitment. Wtf? Not everyone wants a romantic relationship? Has she considered that, or?

UPD:

Chapter 26:

I lay down on my bunk and faced away from her. “Whatever lets you sleep at night.” She walked back to the door and knocked on it. A guard opened it up. “Anyway. I just wanted you to know why I’m doing this. I owed you that.” “Go to hell.” “Oh, I will, believe me. You three are going to Tau Ceti. The rest of us are going to hell. More accurately, hell is coming to us.”

&

Yeah? Well, hell’s coming back to you, Stratt. In the form of me. I’m hell.

Say it, Ryland. Stratt is just awful.

[mongeese]

I did like the movie when I saw it but in hindsight it pisses me off forever that Project Hail Mary gave us a character who was an extremely complex understated woman who loved humanity so much that she would sacrifice her own to save it and who was willing to accept her status as the world's whipping boy after she saved all their lives because she knew it had to be done and who was ruthlessly effective and who kidnapped people for the greater good but did it all as kindly as possible. And then the protagonist is the reddit science bro buddy comedy self insert power fantasy guy like okay. whatever I guess.

[mongeese]

society if Eva Stratt was a character in a good piece of media

[vole-mon-amour]

Okay, let me test a theory.

Project Hail Mary: Book vs Movie

I read the book before watching the movie. I liked the movie.

I read the book before watching the movie. I did NOT like the movie.

I did NOT read the book (before watching). I liked the movie.

I did NOT read the book (before watching). I did NOT like the movie.

I read the book after the movie. It changed my opinion on the movie (how?)

I read the book after the movie. It did NOT change my opinion on the movie.

I did NOT read the book, nor watched the movie.

Voting ended onJun 19

As a bonus: I presume someone did like the movie but didn't like the book. If so, in what order did you consume them? Book first, then the movie? Or the movie first, the the book?

As always, polls are ANONYMOUS.

Reblogs are HIGHLY appreciated!

[vole-mon-amour]

review

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Honestly, I skipped the karaoke scene because a) I found it cringe and too much b) if wanted to hear Sign Of The Times, I'd just listen to Harry singing it. I don't need this kind of karaoke cover.

Anyway, this movie gave me a headache and made me feel tediously bored. It's too long and melodramatic. I hate that it told me how to think and feel with dramatic music every step of the way while simultaneously didn't really have any depth.

[houruponthestage]

The devastating layers of grace wearing the ‘I had potential shirt’ hurts, bad

1. It’s a science pun

2. His failed potential as an academic

3. Stratt packed that shirt, knowing she was sending him to die

4. The framing of the shot that cuts off the context (an object running out of potential, see below) so to the audience it serves as a grim reminder of his (then) inevitable death