THE ADAM PROJECT (2022) – You will wish you could travel back in time to erase this from existance
Rating: ⭐ 1/2
Walker Scobell and Ryan Reynolds star in a scene from the movie "The Adam Project." The Catholic News Service classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (CNS photo/Doane Gregory, Netflix)
What is deal that Ryan Reynolds have with Netflix? The Adam Project is his third outing with Netflix (6 Underground and Red Notice being the other two). Well … if you liked those previous movies, then chances are you will like this one as well. However, for the more discerning viewer, The Adam Project is something best left forgotten.
On paper, it sounds like a familiar and fun outing. Ryan Reynolds as a time travelling fugitive who goes back in time and teams up with his wise cracking 12 year old self in 2022, in a mission to save the world. It seems to have all the elements to make it work. There are interstellar dogfights, hand to hand battles using cool looking light sabers, a hunky Ryan Reynolds, a wise cracking kid, and an explosive climax. But sad to say, we have seen it all before in countless other movies, and done better too! The space dogfights look like left over edited material from another movie, while the fight scenes look generic and choreographed without much imagination. The whole time travel mumbo jumbo felt like a gimmick just to have an adult Ryan Reynold confront a younger version of himself. Ryan Reynolds trying to put on a serious face and then cracking a joke, is not funny here. Don’t expect Free Guy or Dead Pool inspired moments here. And, sorry to say it, but, child actor Walker Scobell, just wasn’t cute enough. Finally, the light weight script is a pain to listen. The humour felt forced, and unfunny, while the so called sentimental moments were unconvincing. Nothing is being taken seriously and we get the feeling most scenes must have been done with just one take without any effort to make them stand out.
It is a pity the film turned out so bad especially with a decent supporting cast that includes Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner and Zoe Saldana, all of whom had been far better in other films. It is another example of what Netflix movies have a tendency to be. Big name stars in ambitious sounding projects that just sucks. If you have not seen The Adam Project yet, I recommend you skip this unless you are a die hard Ryan Reynolds fan. You have been warned.
