Without calling it an intentional throwback to 80s and 90s sci-fi classics, The Adam Project is an interesting twist on time travel in both the sci-fi and action comedy sense. Yet somewhere in there is an emotional stance on love, grief and redemption. This wouldn’t be the first, and anyone who has seen sci-fi extremes – Back to the Future and Interstellar – will know there is a world of difference in the story and narrative, even though both those films are about time travel. With the father-and-son element forming the core, the time travelling sci-fi element building the frame, the action, adventure and all-star cast led by Ryan Reynolds form the rest of this film in blockbuster fashion.
After sci-fi themed Free Guy, This would be Reynolds collaborating with director Shawn Levy for the second time in a year. This time though, the PG13 rating keeps it lite and sanitized with mouthwash for Reynolds, But only in comparison to the least scandalous moments from his Deadpool films. The gist in The Adam Project is that time travel exists, but we don’t know bout it yet because the concept is monopolized in the year 2050. Which is why Reynolds’ Adam Reeds must travel back to 2018 when the concept was first discovered by his physicist father (Mark Ruffolo) and also to prevent the death of his wife (Zoe Saldana), but crash lands in 2022 and meets his younger self (newcomer Walker Scobell with crisp comic timing) and his mother (Jennifer Garner).
Where Free Guy exhibited visual dynamics with tangy social commentary, this follow up from Levy and Reynolds feels like a sci-fi greatest hits collection, including Spielbergisms from E.T. to Ready Player One, and inspiration from the music soundtrack that added an extra cool kick in Guardian of the Galaxy. In the way, the film does a heck of a job with cinematic nostalgia. So does Reynolds’ household wit, banter and charm. But while the film is watchable, it is also pauseable to check your phone, grab a drink from the fridge, or go to the restroom, just because you can. There’s nothing to hate here, but nothing to love either.
On Netflix from 11 March 2022.
