Ryan Reynolds has a type. He really shines as a wise-cracking tough guy that’s hiding a fragile, sensitive heart. He’s got a lot of charisma and great comedic timing. I first caught wind of this in 2004’s ‘Blade: Trinity’ where he was the most enjoyable character in the film (along with Parker Posey, another fantastic actor with great charisma and comedic timing). And while it took a long while for him to be fully appreciated for his talents – it wasn’t until 2016’s ‘Deadpool’ where he finally hit it big – he has had a stable career building this character and turning it into his own.
I mention this because a lot of Netflix’s new Shawn Levy-directed sci-fi adventure ‘The Adam Project‘ is centered on Ryan Reynolds and his particular style of performance. The film’s script, written by Jonathan Tropper, T.S. Nowlin, Jennifer Flackett, and Mark Levin has turned this time-traveling family adventure into a vehicle to showcase more of Reynolds’ trademark cinematic allure.
Reynolds’ Adam is a sarcastic, quick to the hip wise-cracking time traveler on a “classified” mission that leads him to meet up with his 12-year-old self, played by Walker Scobell. The 12-year old Adam is just as sarcastic and biting, throwing quips and verbal jabs at every turn.
I suppose the appeal here is that you get two Ryan Reynolds for the price of one. What’s even better? You put a Ryan Reynolds character against his younger self who is written just as funny and just as acerbic.
If this is your jam, then you’re going to have a fun time. Except, for me, it’s gotten old already. I think it would be great for Ryan Reynolds to do more, spread himself, and explore the range of his charisma and comedic timing. I’ve seen all of this in ‘Deadpool’ and this film is really milking this schtick so much. Every time ‘The Adam Project’ gets really thrilling or properly emotional, it is immediately undercut by a one-liner.
And it’s a shame because, with all the enjoyable fight sequences and the novelty of being able to imagine what it would be like to meet your younger self, there’s a rather lovely story here about coming to terms with your past and unresolved feelings.
Personally, I’m tired of Reynolds’ brand of comedy and it doesn’t help that Walker Scobell has Reynold’s timing but none of his charm. Granted he’s a kid but he doesn’t have the same power that Tom Holland (as a kid in ‘The Impossible’) or Haley Joel Osment (from ‘The Sixth Sense’) had as a young actor.
Instead, the ones who really bring this movie to its full potential are Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner. Garner, as Adam’s mother, can really imbue a scene with so much heart and emotion that I really wanted more of her in this film. Mark Ruffalo can juggle both humor, big-budget setups (and not get swallowed), and empathy in one go. In fact, he turns a crucial scene in the film from the beginning as a comic thing and then turning it into something very emotional and touching. It’s a genius move.
Zoe Saldana and Catherine Keener, on the flipside, shine as they synch into the adventure part of the film. Keener is enjoyable as a straight-up villain while Saldana handles the action woman role expertly, bringing humanity in an otherwise extraordinary role.
The film has great action choreography where you can really see the movements and enjoy them. The film doesn’t do quick cuts or tight close-ups so you can fully appreciate the movements of the action. As a sci-fi film, it doesn’t delve too much into the science but it doesn’t disregard it either, giving important explanations to the physics and the “rules” behind time travel. It isn’t bogged down by the science so that it can focus on Adam, the younger and the older, and how they can reconcile their own brokenness.
It has beautiful moments that are unfortunately undercut by the Ryan Reynolds-ness of the script, favoring the witty comebacks over emotional depth. Everything else feels by the book that doesn’t do anything much to really reinvent the genre. If it focused on the family bond, it might have been more impactful.
Is it great? Probably not. Is it enjoyable? Definitely. Especially if you love Ryan Reynolds and his cinematic persona.
My Rating:
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The Adam Project debuts on Netflix on March 11, 2022.
