The Adam Project is its name, nostalgia is its game and thanks to the re-teaming Free Guy duo of director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Reynolds, it does it well. A time-traveling adventure reminiscent of 80’s classics like E.T. and Back to the Future, Reynolds latest is at its best when it is tugging on your heartstrings or embracing the comedic patter the Deadpool actor is so well known for, in a way that succeeds far more than many of his recent projects, thanks to the addition of newcomer Walker Scobell. It is when The Adam Project feels the need to tick the Netflix blockbuster boxes that it is let down; with awfully trite villains, forgettable action set-pieces and a story that never gives characters outside of the central pair much time to breathe.
Struggling to return to a sense of normalcy after his father was killed a year ago, 12-year old Adam’s (Walker Scobell) life is thrown into chaos with the arrival of his older self from the year 2050. Injured and desperate to find his missing wife Laura (Zoe Saldana), this older Adam brings with him the threat of Sorian (Catherine Keener), a woefully underwritten big bad who made a fortune off the invention of time-travel, stolen from Adam’s father Louis (Mark Ruffalo). Realising the only way to prevent Laura’s disappearance is to stop the invention of time-travel altogether, the two Adams journey back to 2018, before their father died, in a last-ditch attempt for the trio to save the day and right the wrongs of the future.
On its surface, The Adam Project is the typical big-budget Netflix blockbuster. All the glossy bells and whistles have been thrown onto the screen in the action sequences, drawing from a host of obvious sci-fi action influences, and it all feels for naught. The action has such a clean and polished look to it that you never feel as if the characters are truly in danger, with Ryan Reynolds leaping around like a CGI rag-doll with a lightsaber. I’ve no doubt it may be the most spectacular thing in the world for a child who hasn’t seen the myriad of films these scenes are a hodgepodge of – and for a film so obviously emulating the Amblin movie spirit that’s a great thing – but for everyone else this aspect is easily the film’s weakest. For its part, the time-travel mumbo-jumbo is quickly dismissed as just that, acting to kickstart the adventure before fading away into the background.
After a slew of post-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds films where his rapid-fire wit has almost become a crutch at this point, The Adam Project is a rousing success in revitalising that comedic energy to hilarious effect. This is primarily due to Walker Scobell as the younger Reynolds, who is fantastic in capturing his wise-cracking smartassery in an endearing way. The problem that has frequently befallen many of Reynolds films is that no one is ever a real match in keeping up with his quick wit, so it makes sense that the best person to go toe-to-toe with Adam is… Adam. It’s a charming dynamic that never fails to put a smile on your face every time Scobell’s Adam comes back with an absolute zinger, also working as a kind of deconstruction of Reynolds schtick, turning it on its head and making him look like a fool more than once. It’s refreshing for an actor of his calibre to be so receptive to poking fun at his image, especially when that image essentially launched his leap to superstardom.
Where The Adam Project really succeeds – like Levy’s other Netflix project Stranger Things – is in its ability to evoke nostalgia to such an all-around endearing effect. From the production design of Adam’s childhood home to the music choices and even certain fashion choices, it all feels designed to evoke classic 80’s family and sci-fi films like E.T. and Return of the Jedi. That might seem like a surface-level coat of paint but Levy doesn’t forget to take the best parts of those films and apply it to his own: the heart. For a film that could be seen as a forgettable action romp, The Adam Project packs a surprising amount of depth into it, tackling issues of abandonment, resentment and unresolved father issues. Seeing the Adams and their father reunite makes for some flashy action set-pieces sure, but more importantly allows for some serious deep-diving into how Louis’ death has impacted his son at different points in his life and how the young Adam can directly impact his future. It’s the heavy, emotionally fulfilling stuff hiding under the surface that will surely leave the adults in the room with a tear or two while the young ones are busy having enjoying the fireworks.
The Adam Project both is and isn’t something of a surprise. As a big Netflix action film it hits every note it needs to with little we haven’t seen before, weighed down by a nonsensical story and poor villain. But – looking beyond that – this is a film with a surprising amount of heart, and one that completely revitalises the Ryan Reynolds formula thanks to a great pairing with up-and-comer Walker Scobell. As a wannabe Amblin, 80’s style action comedy, Levy knows exactly which buttons to hit, and while you won’t be yearning to travel back in time to experience this for the first time like some of its influences, The Adam Project is a fun enough throwback.
The Adam Project stars Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Zoe Saldana, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener, Alex Mallari Jr. & Jennifer Garner – Streaming on Netflix now.