Every so often, a movie comes along with a premise so wild it almost dares you to take it seriously. “Hail Mary,” Amazon MGM’s latest sci-fi gamble, is one of those movies. It starts with Ryan Gosling scrubbing up for a suicide mission to save Earth (no pressure), and ends with an alien creature that feels suspiciously designed to tug at the same heartstrings as Spielberg’s E.T. If there’s an Oscar for Most Shameless Attempt to Make You Buy Plush Toys, “Hail Mary” is already polishing its acceptance speech.

Let’s start with the alien—whose eyes are so big, soulful, and slightly moist that you can practically hear the marketing department cackling. There’s no way around it: the little guy is an E.T. tribute act, down to the slightly hunched walk and skin so wrinkled you’d think he spent a century sunbathing without SPF. I’m not sure what cosmic rulebook dictates that aliens must look like they’ve had a rough century at the Florida retirement home, but “Hail Mary” follows it to the letter. Seriously, can’t we get an extraterrestrial with a good skincare routine for once?

Ryan Gosling, as always, commits so fiercely that you almost forget you’re watching a man have deep, existential conversations with what looks like a raisin in a wetsuit. There’s a real sincerity to his performance, a sense that he’s acting not just for the cameras, but for every kid who ever wished their imaginary friend would phone home. If Gosling had been around for the original E.T., maybe the government agents would have left the bikes alone.

The script, though, is where “Hail Mary” wobbles a bit. The core idea—a desperate mission to save humanity by befriending a space crypt-keeper—has promise. But for a film that hinges on relaying vital information back to Earth, the “how” of it all gets pretty muddled. At one point, I found myself squinting at the screen, trying to figure out exactly how Gosling was supposed to transmit his findings. Morse code? Interpretive dance? A TikTok challenge? The movie never quite answers, and you get the sense the writers were hoping we’d be too distracted by the alien’s puppy-dog eyes to notice.

That said, the movie moves at a good clip, never lingering too long on its own plot holes. The supporting cast delivers, with a few standout moments that keep things from getting too saccharine. There’s enough humor to keep the tone light, especially when the alien tries to mimic human customs—think E.T. in a world where Reese’s Pieces have been replaced by gluten-free kale chips.

The director and producer clearly want their alien to achieve pop culture immortality. The creature’s every gesture, every blink, screams “franchise potential.” You can practically see the lunchboxes, the Halloween costumes, the inevitable spinoff TV show where he solves mysteries with a precocious child. Will it work? Hard to say. The bar for alien adorableness was set pretty high in 1982.

What “Hail Mary” does get right is its sense of wonder. Even through all the wrinkled skin and plot gymnastics, there’s a genuine affection for classic sci-fi here. The film isn’t afraid to wear its influences on its sleeve, and that honesty is endearing. It might not reach E.T.’s level of tear-jerking magic, but it’s not for lack of trying.

In the end, “Hail Mary” is an entertaining, if slightly confused, addition to the canon of “humans meet wrinkly, soulful alien and learn something about themselves” movies. It’s a good time, even if it never quite figures out how to stick the landing. And hey, if you’ve ever wondered what Ryan Gosling would look like swapping jokes with a galactic 200-year-old-look-alike-Earth woman, this is your moment.

So go ahead—phone home, or at least phone Amazon MGM’s streaming app. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself inexplicably craving some prunes by the end.