I’m fond of Time Travel stories so you’d think I would be ecstatic over The Adam Project. But, you would be wrong.
Ryan Reynolds plays a pilot who travels from 2050 back to 2022 in an attempt to save his wife (Zoe Saldana). Reynolds’ character, called Adam, really wanted to arrive in 2018, but a mis-calibration by Adam’s craft lands him in the wrong year. Adult Adam then meets his 12-year-old self (brilliantly played by Walker Scobell) which does generate plenty of humor. But, murder squads from 2050 arrive to kill Adam (and even his younger self).
You would think that a movie with a cast that includes Ryan Reynolds; Mark Ruffalo; Jennifer Garner; Walker Scobell; Catherine Keener; and Zoe Saldaña would be fabulous. But, once again, you would wrong.
The Adam Project gets bogged down in family problems: an inattentive father, a surly son, and an unconfident mother. The action scenes are okay, but there are too few of them. There’s potential in The Adam Project but much of it is wasted. GRADE: B-
Yeah, the reviews for this one were not great. Jackie wants to see it so we will watch it. Looks like a lot was ripped off from other, better movies too.
Jeff, I had high hopes for THE ADAM PROJECT based on the excellent cast. The kid who plays the young Ryan Reynolds deserves an award!
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Ryan Reynolds always comes off as an annoyingly whiny fool in nearly everything I’ve seen him in. Probably typecasting. Rather as with that other underwhelming RR vehicle DEFINITELY, MAYBE, the rest of the cast does look impressive.
Todd, the cast of THE ADAM PROJECT is impressive…but they’re not given much to do that’s meaningful.
We’re back in an era when good looks is highly prized in actors.
Patti, cosmetic surgeons would agree with you.
I love a good time travel yarn but there have just been too many lately and they are so seldom done well (the last one I saw was PRIMER) that I think it’s time for a moratorium on them unless a really good writer/director wants to do some Jack Finney. Also, to say I’m not a fan of Reynolds would be the understatement of the century.
Byron, I think women like Ryan Reynolds more than men do. Time Travel is tricky and unless it’s handled competently, it gets stupid fast. The last really good Time Travel movie I’ve seen was EDGE OF TOMORROW.
I love time travel movies too, but haven’t worked up any desire to see this one. However, there’s a Japanese movie called THE DOOR INTO SUMMER, based on the Heinlein novel, lurking around the obscure edges of Netflix, that I’m trying to work up the nerve to try. Anyone seen it?
Michael, I loved THE DOOR INTO SUMMER when I read it as a kid. I’ll seek out this Japanese version and let you know what I think of it.
The critics didn’t like this one either but I will probably give it a try.
Unlike Byron, I’d be VERY afraid if someone attempts Jack Finney. It would depend on the casting. I love Time and Again so much that I’d probably just decide to give it a pass and read it again. My imagination comes up with the perfect cast.
Beth, I consider Jack Finney an underrated writer. Love TIME AND AGAIN, too! But Finney also wrote THE BODY SNATCHERS and ASSAULT ON A QUEEN (a caper novel). Marvelous range in subject matter and characters!