Reynolds Rewinds: The Adam Project Struggles to Find Freshness in a Familiar Formula

The Adam Project, releasing this Friday on Netflix, is undeniably centered on Ryan Reynolds. Following the monumental success of his Deadpool character, the implications of this have become apparent. Reynolds’ roles are characterized by his rapid-fire dialogue, filled with quips, jabs, and sardonic comments. His one-liners often diffuse dramatic moments, whether in dialogues or during action scenes. In recent films, Reynolds essentially embodies a version of himself on screen—specifically, the cinematic interpretation of “Ryan Reynolds”. (I can’t comment on his private persona, as I don’t know him personally.) In The Adam Project, the inclusion of time travel allows us to see two incarnations of the character, with newcomer Walker Scobell portraying a youthful version of Reynolds’ persona, necessitating that the young actor channel a «mini-Reynolds».

Scobell portrays the young version well, which likely contributed to his selection for the role. However, in spite of Reynolds’ continual efforts, The Adam Project rarely elicits laughter. As of this review, barely two days post-watching the film, I struggle to recall any joke, which speaks volumes. Frankly, I suspect I wouldn’t have retained any specifics about The Adam Project if I hadn’t jotted down notes for this assessment and had to actively contemplate it. In essence, the latest Reynolds film is quite forgettable. It features a standard soundtrack (by Rob Simonsen, who previously worked on Ghostbusters: Afterlife) and a predictable plot reliant on Hollywood clichés that have been presented countless times before. There’s nothing particularly distinctive here.

The Adam Project has a history behind it. An initial version of the script has circulated in Hollywood for quite some time, penned by T.S. Nowlin (Maze Runner: The Death Cure). Tom Cruise was initially linked to the project when it was first developed a decade prior, but it fell by the wayside until Netflix acquired it less than two years ago. By that point, Big Mouth co-creators Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin had contributed to the screenplay, with Banshee creator Jonathan Tropper crafting the final draft, which was animated by Free Guy director Shawn Levy, reuniting with Reynolds for this film. Naturally, Reynolds and his team likely added their signature touches to the dialogue, as is their custom.

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The saying goes that too many cooks spoil the broth, but the central issue with the film’s script seems to be impatience. The Adam Project clocks in at under 100 minutes, excluding credits, which falls short for balancing multiple action sequences along with character and story development. We are introduced to a young boy (Scobell) dealing with his father’s death and a man (Reynolds) on a quest to amend his future and locate his wife. Unfortunately, the pacing is too hasty for the emotional elements to resonate. The Netflix movie only pauses long enough to deliver one genuinely impactful scene, making it the highlight. Otherwise, The Adam Project is devoid of pacing.

Set in 2050, 40-year-old Adam Reed (Reynolds) commandeers a jet and traverses through a wormhole to save himself. Comparing this to present-day, 12-year-old Adam (Scobell) finds himself bullied and suspended from school, likely as a reaction to the loss of his father, Louis Reed (Mark Ruffalo), a couple of years prior, causing his mother, Ellie Reed (Jennifer Garner, in an underwhelming role), significant distress. One night, after Ellie steps out for a date, Young Adam hears disturbances in the backyard and finds an injured man (Reynolds) who has broken into his father’s shed. With a few hints, including a dog named Hawking, who surprisingly plays no significant role, he soon realizes that this unexpected visitor is his future self.

Big Adam explains to his younger counterpart that he miscalculated his jump; he originally aimed to return to 2018 to rescue his wife, Laura Shane (Zoe Saldaña), from the past. The film inundates viewers with scientific jargon and pseudo-scientific terms to navigate the plot’s intricacies, addressing potential concerns from the audience about the implications of Young and Big Adam’s meeting. However, this exposition turns out to be entirely superfluous, as nothing introduced is innovative. It would be better spent developing the characters rather than getting entangled in unnecessary science fiction. Ultimately, Big Adam’s mission is shifted to a broader purpose when he uncovers a conspiracy intertwined with his family’s fate.

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Walker Scobell as Young Adam, Jennifer Garner as Ellie Reed in The Adam Project
Photo Credit: Doane Gregory/Netflix

The chemistry between Reynolds and Scobell creates a light-hearted atmosphere in The Adam Project early on. Their shared propensity for talking back fuels their contentious dynamic from the outset. Young Adam rummages through his older self’s belongings, despite Big Adam’s objections. Among these items is an unmistakable lightsaber imitation, as the film does not shy away from depicting Reynolds wielding a double-bladed lightsaber. Concurrently, Big Adam looks down on Young Adam for having despised this stage of his life, while Young Adam displays the immature thoughts typical of pre-teens. However, he occasionally reveals wisdom that belies his age. Thanks to his experiences, Big Adam conveys insightful lessons to both his younger self and their mother.

On the subject of the mother, Garner is unfortunately underutilized in The Adam Project. It’s a challenging role being a single mom, compounded by the recent loss of her husband and her son’s behavioral issues. Yet, the film does not allocate sufficient time to explore this nuance. It focuses mainly on Adam’s viewpoint and his father, offering the mother just one redeeming moment. In fact, all female characters receive inadequate development in The Adam Project. Saldaña appears approximately half an hour in, only to be absent in the subsequent 20 minutes. The film’s antagonist also lacks depth and serves little purpose; Catherine Keener suffers due to poor digital de-aging effects. The Adam Project suffers from unconvincing CGI too—her faceless minions resemble Stormtroopers but fail to make any significant connection.

They contribute to some engaging action scenes, which exhibit coherent choreography rather than relying on excessive explosive effects, although I wished for longer shot durations. However, the film’s climactic set piece is nonsensical, falling into the trap of exaggeration for its own sake without thoughtful execution—I would have preferred it to be omitted entirely.

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Zoe Saldaña as Laura Shane, Ryan Reynolds as Big Adam in The Adam Project
Photo Credit: Doane Gregory/Netflix

In many respects, my overall sentiment about The Adam Project is similar. It emerges as a forgettable film devoid of humor that plays it far too safe, reiterating conventional messages about parenting. Reynolds seems to find himself in a similar predicament. He appears to have reached a peak by playing himself on-screen—which, while Deadpool 3 is still on the horizon, involves at least two sequels to Red Notice featuring Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot. I’m inclined to believe Netflix might view The Adam Project as a potential “franchise starter”. I loathe that term.

This tendency results from Reynolds opting for a cautious approach since his success with Deadpool. (Partly fueled by his past flops.) He seems reluctant to fully immerse himself in directors’ visions, opting instead to select them on his terms today. In Deadpool 2, director Tim Miller—responsible for the original Deadpool—was essentially dismissed because his creative vision conflicted with Reynolds’. Miller aimed for bold artistic decisions, while Reynolds preferred sticking to his familiar style.

Since then, Reynolds has translated his persona into various other narratives, including the Fast & Furious spin-off Hobbs & Shaw, the Pokémon feature Detective Pikachu (which was also pitched as a franchise opener but appears to have floundered), and the Michael Bay-directed thriller 6 Underground (another failed attempt at launching a franchise, with Netflix acknowledging its shortcomings).

Most recently, he starred in the action-comedy video game adaptation Free Guy (which has been approved for a sequel). Levy has positioned himself as the director who defines Reynolds’ filmography, although their collaborations ultimately lack substance. To put it bluntly, Reynolds’ comedic style feels stale and it desperately needs a change. Yet, I’ve unintentionally manifested The Adam Project 2, so perhaps that responsibility lies with me?

The Adam Project is set to premiere on Friday, March 11 at 1:30 PM IST worldwide on Netflix.