Have you wanted to travel back in time and give your younger self some advice? Or maybe travel to the future and see how you turned out? The Adam Project brings that fantasy to the screen. Ryan Reynolds reunites with Shawn Levy, the director of “Free Guy”, for a time-traveling adventure that matches their previous collaborations in terms of exhilarating intensity and likability. In the movie, Adam is a rogue pilot who crash-lands in 2022 and is forced to partner up with his 12-year-old self to save the future. It becomes evident that the two Adams, big and small, are irritated with each other with their paralleled snarkiness and quirky comeback. But it soon becomes evident that both are still grieving the untimely death of their father played by Mark Ruffalo, a scientist whose brilliance may hold the key to both unraveling and triggering the impending doom of the world.
The heartfelt movie strikes a fine mix between action and humor. The inherent tension between the two Adams stems more from Big Adam as Young Adam is still unaware of what altering the timeline entails. Both versions of Adam are fantastic at getting on the nerves of everyone around them, and it is amusing to watch how they are both frustrated by and appreciative of each other’s witty repartee. Big Adam is not keen on being reminded of how miserable and angry he was when he was a 12-year-old as such, tries to remain distant from his younger self. This relationship between the two Adams might come off as a little harsh on Big Adam’s part but as the story unravels, the audience sympathizes with Big Adam. Young Adam is equally ecstatic at the thought of growing up to look like Big Adam as he is with learning that time travel and riding in a real spaceship exist.
Time travel may be considered a cliché and overplayed movie narrative. So, what sets The Adam Project apart?
The philosophy behind the movie’s narrative goes beyond time traveling and action.
Suffice to say, there is a little bit of Big Adam in all of us. Coping with loss and having regrets from our childhood is not easy to deal with. Sometimes when we think of our past, we have blanks in our memory and remember things differently. We might even still be angry about some incidents and have unresolved issues. There are some things we wish we had done differently, some conversations we wish we had had, and sometimes, we wish we could go back in time and rescue someone or warn them. Big Adam is the embodiment of all those past regrets and the human desire to mitigate those regrets, and to save someone we love (even if that means altering the entire timeline and potentially, causing cosmic devastation).
With better-than-expected production design from Claude Paré for the future gizmos and special effects by Scanline VFX, the picture more than lives up to its premise. The action and combat scenes, notably one with a sweet reunion in the midst of the chaos, are superbly produced. In the middle of the chaos, Big Adam’s warning and advice to his younger self lend the drama some heart. His insight that anger does not prevent sadness and that second opportunities are conceivable is genuine tenderness. The action and fantasy are entertaining, but at the movie’s core is the essence of family and the kind of love that is simply meant to be.
The best part of The Adam Project is how all the loose ends come together at the end.
Needless to say, the movie truly sticks to the saying “If it’s meant to be, it’ll be”, making the entire watch very satisfying. Throughout the journey of the two Adams, the audience begins to learn more about the characters and how Big Adam reflects on his past. We also see a glimpse into the relationship the boys had with their father. Actually, we see this relationship from two different eyes – one of Big Adam and another of Young Adam. In the end, when all three timelines unite for a few seconds and say their last goodbyes, I did shed a tear or two. Not because of how it was beautifully acted out, but because it tells the audience that the future is not perfect and that we cannot always get what we want, and that is okay. It emphasizes love as a universal force that overrides any changes in the timeline giving a sense of hope to the audience. Nevertheless, the movie does so in a way that is not cheesy, but with the right touch of the human essence.