By: Amanda Guarragi
As we get older and we learn how to accept our past, the idea of being able to talk to our younger selves is always floating around. What would you say to your younger self? How could talking to the 12-year-old version of you affect your future decisions? Well, The Adam Project taps into that very idea in a sci-fi film that is grounded in human emotion. Director Shawn Levy constructs a heartfelt story about time-travel that revolves around childhood trauma and grief. It does have the charming Ryan Reynolds with his usual sarcasm, but this is a well-rounded sci-fi, action adventure that balances the humour and drama quite well.
We meet Adam Reed (Ryan Reynolds) who is wounded while he is trying to steal a ship in order to go back in time to stop time travel from being created. Unfortunately, he crash-lands in the year 2022 and bumps into his 12-year-old self, played by newcomer Walker Scobell. As we know, Reynolds has his own dry sense of humour that he carries with him in all of his characters, but what was so impressive was that Scobell matched his delivery. It was like two peas in a pod, and their dynamic carried the entire film. On the surface, it may look like any other sci-fi film, but the time travel storyline and how it affects both Adams is really emotional.
Time travel can always get a bit messy and it can be difficult to understand. If you just follow the rules placed within the movie itself, then it isn’t so bad. The futuristic weapons and armour combined made the action scenes really fun. Of course, there are references to other films like Star Wars, but it was fitting. The VFX work was strong and the soundtrack they used to really pack it on that there wasn’t that much time left worked really well throughout the movie. Any movie that utilizes “Foreplay/Long Time” from Boston gets a high grade for me. This movie was fun when it needed to be and it had really beautiful, emotional moments between family members.
The Adam Project is one of the best Netflix films in their library and the entire team should be proud of this film. It is a family-oriented film that touches upon grief and how every little thing that happens in your childhood can shape you into the person you become. The cast works together so well and having a 13 Going on 30 reunion with Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo is something we definitely needed. It is a wholesome film with so much love and an important message that time really does heal everything. What everyone can learn from this film is that it is important to feel these emotions in order to grow as a person, and I think that is what makes this film so wonderful.
Candid Cinema 