Saturday, March 12, 2022

Netflix: Review of THE ADAM PROJECT: Touching Time-Travel Treat

March 12, 2022



Adam Reed (Ryan Reynolds) is a fighter pilot from the year 2050 who stole a jet plane and embarked to travel back in back to the year 2018 in search of his wife Laura (Zoe Saldana) who had been stuck there. Damage his jet sustained during his flight caused Adam to land in the year 2022 when he met his 12-year old self (Walker Scobell). Together, the two fly back to 2018 to try to abort the time-travel technology which had caused the world much harm.

Along with his bigger mission to save the future world from the oppressive control of ruthless businesswoman Maya Sorian (Catherine Keener), Adam also used his trip back in time to mend his bridges with his mother Ellie (Jennifer Garner) and his father Louis (Mark Ruffalo). It was also his chance to advise his younger self, who had always been the target of bullies back in middle school given his short stature and weak constitution. 

Ryan Reynolds seems to be playing the same fast-talking, zinger-per-line character in every film, doesn't he? He certainly does not go far from his comfort zone playing the adult Adam Reed. This is the type of hero his fans expect from him, and he never fails to deliver the goods with that charming wise-guy personality which seems second nature to him. Reynolds' Adam has his flaws and vulnerabilities, but these are precisely what endear him to the viewers.

It was a joy to see young Walker Scobell play the young Adam in perfect harmony with how Ryan Reynolds played adult Adam. Scobell channeled Reynolds' style of wit and speech pattern down pat, we can actually imagine him growing into someone like Reynolds. It was a lot of fun seeing the two of them banter over various fun pop references, like the light saber of "Star Wars," or the superhero landing and the multiverse from the MCU. 

Fun as it is, time-travel is always a tricky trope to pull off, as there will invariably be time-line plot holes which may come out if you think about every detail. However, this scifi-action-comedy by director Shaun Levy also had its heart in the right place, with touching scenes of the two Adams with their parents, played by Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo who are so good with no-frills drama. Their scenes can tug at the your tear ducts without hysterics.  7/10. 


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