The Adam Project Review: Another stellar, family-friendly Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy collaboration

The partnership between Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy works once again in The Adam Project.

Reynolds is just as good in The Adam Project as he was in Free Guy. He still has the 100 words per minute repartee down pat. In The Adam Project, Reynolds gives Big Adam world-weariness and genuine anger as he tries to deal with his younger self while using sarcasm and humor to mask the trauma that he endured during this time in his life.

The focus of The Adam Project centers around the Big Adam going back in time to when he was a child. Adam’s decision to return to the past in order to save someone he loves forces him to meet the younger aged version of himself played by Walker Scobell. Finding a young actor who can keep pace and feel like a young Reynolds is a difficult task. Luckily, Scobell’s incredible.

Every scene featuring Scobell and Reynolds works almost flawlessly. The film’s time travel hijinks are the least interesting aspect of the film. The Adam Project is at its best when Scovell and Reynolds are simply talking about their past traumas to one another.

The Adam Project is full of strong female supporting performances as well. Jennifer Gardner makes the most of her moments as Adam’s single mother, Ellie. Gardner is terrific at showing the pain inside of Ellie, without being overtly expressive in her grief. In just a few scenes, Zoe Saldaña shows why Adam is willing to risk so much to find her. Gardner and Saldaña are great, but their performances deserved more screentime.

Mark Ruffalo is great in the film as Adam’s father. A role that’s not too dissimilar from the cautious Bruce Banner in the MCU. Catherine Keener makes for a good foil. Although the de-aging technology used on Keener isn’t the best.

The movie’s 3rd act nearly comes apart but is saved by an emotional final scene. The Amblin DNA, Levy’s skills at world-building, a great score by Rob Simonsen and thrilling actions sequences allows The Adam Project to rise above most Netflix films.

With the overview out of the way, let’s dive deeper into the elements that stood out in this time-traveling film. There may be some minor spoilers. The Adam Project is currently streaming on Netflix.

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Adam meets Adam in The Adam Project

Big Adam travels back in time for a specific purpose. Laura, his wife, went missing in 2050 when she was investigating a time jump. Adam was attempting to jump to 2018 but is shot out of the sky by Maya, the CEO of Sorian. He’s hurt badly and forced to land in 2018.

The Adam Project has perfect pacing throughout. Big Adam doesn’t waste much time trying to deny his time travel activities from his younger self. He does try to keep the younger Adam at arm’s length at first, but eventually fesses up, which allows The Adam Project to take off.

Big Adam needs younger Adam in order to take down Sorian. The evil corporation has made 2050 a living hell and by finding Laura, they may be able to stop her.

Scovell’s ability to keep up with Reynolds is outstanding. Comedically he’s on point. However, it’s the way their anger and sarcasm match that adds layers to their past and future selves.

The Adam Project soars whenever Scovell and Reynolds are on screen together.

Processing Trauma

The most powerful theme in The Adam Project is time. Specifically, how time can adds perspective on trauma and can also alter your perspective over time.

One of the best scenes in the film is between Big Adam and Ellie, his mom. They’re at a bar on opposite ends of the counter. She talks to bartenderabout how her son is grieving and she doesn’t know how to help him. Big Adam tries not to eavesdrop but gives in. They have a great conversation. Big Adam simply says “aren’t you grieving too.” She is and Big Adam tells her she should share that info with Young Adam. It’s a powerful scene with beautiful performances by Garner and Reynolds.

Big Adam constantly advises Young Adam on dealing with their father’s death. He wants Young Adam to take it easier on Ellie. She has no one to take care of, while Young Adam has Ellie to take care of him.

Young Adam provides similar clarity when it comes to their father. Big Adam is still angry at his father for dying. In Big Adam’s mind, his father never made time for him. Young Adam, who is closer to the age of remembering actual moments with his father, shows their father was involved. Big Adam believes his father bought a Pitch Back baseball screen and never played with him. Young Adam shows how time can alter how we process trauma. Their father did buy the Pitch Back screen, but it was because Adam wanted one. No matter how tired their father was, he still managed to play catch with Adam.

These dramatic scenes make The Adam Project a special sci-fi film, especially in comparison to similar fare like The Tomorrow War.

A Love Story through Time

Adam’s wife Laura is a badass. It’s too much of a spoiler to say how she gets involved, but Saldaña’s great. She’s tougher than Adam, sees a bigger picture than Adam and is able to make a crucial decision that impacts the entire world. I just wish Saldaña was used more in the film.

The story of fatherly love is also shown off in The Adam Project. Adam’s father, Louis Reed, is the godfather of time travel. The father-son scenes between Big Adam, Young Adam and Lous are great. Big Adam wants Louis to help them, Louis refuses to, citing messing with time as a terrible sin. Young Adam just wants to connect with his father who he lost in an accident less than 2 years ago.

Ruffalo is given more screentime than Garner and Saldaña, which allows for the ending to hit on an emotional level. Logically, speaking the 3rd act is pretty messy. However, the last few scenes of The Adam Project are incredibly satisfying rendering those issues necessary to hit the emotional payoff.

The Adam Project Final Thoughts

The 2nd collaboration between Reynolds and Levy is one of the best Netflix original films. The Adam Project is full of heart, great action setpieces, plenty of humor and doesn’t overstay its welcome.