Film review: The Adam Project (2022), directed by Shawn Levy

Adam (Walker Scobell) is a clever kid, the kind easily picked on by bullies. Since the death of his father (Mark Ruffalo) it’s just him and his mum (Jennifer Garner), trying to get by. One day he finds a mysterious stranger (Ryan Reynolds) in the garage. A mysterious stranger who turns out to be Adam from the future.

Adult Adam didn’t mean to crash land his time ship in 2022, but now he’s stuck there for however long it takes to repair the ship. He meant to get to 2018 to find out how and why his wife Laura (Zoe Saldaña) was killed during a mission, but his boss, Maya Sorian (Catherine Keener), seems hell-bent on stopping him.

You can argue that Ryan Reynolds is basically playing Ryan Reynolds again, but that isn’t a bad thing. I like Ryan Reynolds being Ryan Reynolds, whether as Deadpool or Blue Shirt Guy. It’s a whole vibe. Walker Scobell is also Ryan Reynolds, but in child form. It’s pretty cool, especially considering this is apparently his first acting role. He will be Percy Jackson in the upcoming Disney+ TV series adaptation of Rick Riordan’s books, so I wish him good luck with his future endeavours!

CGI action adventures through time and trademark wisecracking aside, I like how The Adam Project is also sensitive to grief. It’s a difficult subject, and it doesn’t try to skirt around it. If you had the chance to go back in time and see a loved one you’re grieving the loss of in the present day, what would you do?

I enjoyed the film. It has a little bit of everything: comedy, adventure, sci-fi, action, great cast, great characters, and not a single moment of it is boring or feels like it could have been cut for pace. Plus the fact that it also leaves you with a feeling of hope is hard to beat. It’s a fantastic combination.

4 out of 5 impressive aerial combat manoeuvrers.