by Austen Terry, Contributing Writer
Well, The Adam Project turned out better than expected. Will it go down in the hall of fame of best time travel movies? Probably not, but I don’t think it will be forgotten. Shawn Levy and Netflix bring together very likable actors who share amazing on-screen chemistry, elevating this film over others like it. Time travel films have always been a staple in sci-fi, whether you are traveling back in time to just see the past or most importantly, traveling back in time to fix a terrible future. This film takes the latter approach and is chopped full of humor and meta-references to, well, anything that’s ever dominated pop culture. Deep down past all the humor lies a heartwarming film about overcoming grief and trauma to begin to love yourself.
The Adam Project tells the story of Adam Reed (Ryan Reynolds), a hotshot pilot from the year 2050, whose Air Force jet can open a wormhole that lets you travel back in time. Adam finds himself in 2022, where he meets his 12-year-old self, Young Adam (newcomer Walker Scobell), who must help him save the future. Well, if by save, you mean figure out what happened to Adam’s wife Laura (Zoe Saldana). Along for the ride are Ellie Reed (Jennifer Garner) and Louis Reed (Mark Ruffalo). Where is a sci-fi movie without someone top-notch villains? Chasing Big Adam through the past are Maya Sorian (Catherine Keener) and Christos (Alex Mallari Jr.). This film is just packed full of action, thrills, laughs, and heartwarming moments that will pull on the heart strings.
As with all films, there are some things that worked and some didn’t work. The chemistry and acting between Reynolds and Scobell are phenomenal because they actually act like the same person. A lot of times when time travel movies have people meet a younger version of themselves, they act like two completely different people — people can change, but certain mannerisms shouldn’t. Reynolds and Scobell share very similar humor styles and there are plenty of times they mirror image each other. The chemistry between the entire cast is on point no matter who is in the scene. That’s one of the things I think Levy is good at, because the chemistry is great in his other big Netflix project, Stranger Things.
The CGI and special effects aren’t bad either, especially with all the advanced technology from the future. The only chief complaint is there are scenes where they use de-aging technology that — like when it is used in other movies — just doesn’t quite look right. The ships, the weapons, and the future all look great and feel real. The movie does not feel like some cheap sci-fi time travel movie, but an epic that could totally stand on its own.
The only other chief complaint is the meta-references littered throughout the film. Meta jokes are great and fine in most movies, but there are so many in this film that it becomes a cliché. But then there are times I do get it, because if I met my younger self I totally would be bringing up references to the movies I loved back then. Even if the meta jokes feel stale after a while, the film is still very enjoyable to watch.
The movie handles the grief and trauma that Adam goes through in his life really well, and there are scenes where Big Adam actually does try to help his younger self as well as scenes where Young Adam tries to help Big Adam. I can’t talk about enough how well Reynolds and Scobell play off each other. It truly takes this movie to another level. Reynolds has always had his Wade Wilson/Van Wilder charm thing, and Scobell shows that same charm without being a straight parody of Reynolds. I will definitely rewatch this movie just for how well they interact with each other.
So if The Adam Project is something you are excited about or isn’t even on your radar, I recommend it.
Score: 7/10
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