THE ADAM PROJECT. For those who long for New Adventure

In December 2021, a post appeared on Netflix’s official blog encouraging viewers to organize their own Ryan Reynolds film festival, and it must be said, this wouldn’t be particularly difficult – for several years now, the guy has been appearing in so many films annually that it’s impossible not to come across one of his roles, even by accident. The Adam Project was the third blockbuster he made for Netflix, but… the first decent one. Because Shawn Levy’s film, in which Reynolds starred in Free Guy just a year earlier, is truly a piece of first-class, emotionally-touching entertainment in the spirit of New Adventure Cinema.

The latest blockbuster from the streaming giant tackles the theme of time travel and, unsurprisingly, doesn’t revolutionize the subject. However, it does break the ironclad rule of time travelers: no matter what, do not interact with your past/future self. In a spectacular opening sequence, the fully-grown Adam Reed (Ryan Reynolds) escapes from the year 2050 using a time-space tunnel and lands in our present day, which is 2022. For some reason, he lands in a forest next to his childhood home, so shortly after planting his “time ship” (referred to as a “time jet” in the film), he encounters his 12-year-old self. By breaking the basic rule of time travel, The Adam Project gains a relationship with fantastic dynamics. The two Adams interact in an incredibly amusing way, and although the silver-tongued Ryan Reynolds once again confirms he is a master of dialogue, newcomer Walker Scobell is the true discovery. Being the flip sides of the same character, the two complement each other perfectly, mostly in the category of witty comebacks. Though it is not an exact analogy, the relationship between the protagonists of The Adam Project can be compared to that in Last Action Hero (1993) by John McTiernan.

On a plot level, Shawn Levy’s blockbuster doesn’t offer any particular fireworks – Adam Reed travels to the past to find someone close to him and “incidentally” save the world from the curse that time travel apparently poses to humanity. This leads to the standard paradox – to what extent do we change the present by preventing something in the past? The Adam Project, like any other science fiction film, devotes considerable space to this scientific-ethical issue, but fortunately, this is not the main focus of the narrative. The central plot becomes a surprisingly touching thread of Adam’s relationship with his father (Mark Ruffalo), experienced on two levels: teenage (present) and adult (future). Levy’s film handles this part of the story with great sensitivity, giving the characters plenty of room to work through family traumas and allowing them to heal their wounds. Most importantly, The Adam Project finds a healthy balance between emotional moments and comedic accents, avoiding excessive sentimentality and not resorting to cheesy jokes.

Shawn Levy’s film is family-oriented science fiction – while there are a few fight scenes that probably shouldn’t be seen by the youngest viewers, for peers of the young protagonist, The Adam Project should be very accessible. Though it isn’t a space opera, the futuristic sequences are quite impressive (Levy has repeatedly demonstrated that he knows how to effectively use CGI), but they don’t overshadow the emotional layer of the film – there’s room for the aforementioned family therapy, deep feelings between spouses, and confronting teenage fears. The Adam Project offers surprisingly much, both on the level of execution (great fight sequences, imaginative technological solutions) and emotional depth. And although Levy’s film may not surprise anyone with its plot, it will move many viewers – and who knows, it might even bring a tear or two to some.

Considering Netflix’s star-studded flops (see Red Notice), The Adam Project should be considered a significant success. Not only do the big names (Reynolds, Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Jennifer Garner) avoid acting as if they hadn’t read the script (again: see Red Notice), but they also genuinely seem to enjoy their roles. The whole film is adorned by the brilliant debut of Walker Scobell, an exceptionally clever and talented boy who is also truly convincing as the younger version of Ryan Reynolds. In short: The Adam Project is the kind of film entertainment you need for a weekend evening – especially in times when even a brief escape from reality is something we all need so much.