First off, regardless of what I’m about to say, I feel it’s important to state that I did enjoy The Adam Project (2022). I was able to emotionally connect with the deeper aspects of the story and also get a few laughs in. Who doesn’t love Ryan Reynolds? And that banter with his younger, equally sarcastic self played by Walker Scobell? Chefs kiss. If you haven’t seen the Kraft commercial featuring the two smart alecks, it’s everything you didn’t know you needed (and horrible at the same time).
And my twelve year-old self was just giddy about the 13 Going On 30 (2004) throw back. #mattyandjennaforverrrr (No matter how many roles he plays, Mark Ruffalo is permanently referred to as Matty in this house).
That being said, The Adam Project was basically three movies chewed up and spat back out, misshapen like a middle school used-gum mountain.
Let’s take a look.
The Kid (2000)
If you’re not familiar with the 2000 film starring Bruce Willis, it’s basically a non-dystopian version of the whole Older-self meets Younger-self because Older-self needs to deal with some shiz. The Kid doesn’t delve into father-son relationships in the way The Adam Project does, but we watch a character confront their past (actually) and journey towards making peace so they can move forward. Except, in this case, the filmmakers don’t try to explain the time travel; it’s much more fantastical and treated with little importance. The Kid is heartfelt and hilarious, with Spencer Breslin playing the chubby-faced munch-able Spanky-like eight-year old Russ, who, in my opinion delivers one of the BEST lines in all cinema (cue it up to 38:00 for the teary-eyed kid dramatics). But what makes this film work is its focus on the relationship and revelations found between Russ and his younger self. The script stays consistent on that thread. That’s where The Adam Project fails and why it’s a knock-off rather than an original. It tries to do too much. Action, sci-fi, drama, comedy, kid flick…oh boy.
Field of Dreams (1989)
It’s a classic scene. The final scene. Father and son having a catch outside the normal time continuum. The transformative catch between father and son is a resting place for years of regret, pain and anger. Reconciliation and healing in the clap of every leather-muffled catch. Ringing any bells? In reviewing The Adam Project, Rolling Stone writer David Fear calls out the obvious scene lift from Field of Dreams as pretending to be its “second coming”. But did The Adam Project film earn this scene of gravitas? Did it prove its ability to carry the weight of it. I’m not so sure. It patched-worked itself in as a scene that gives instant gratification to the plot line, admittedly bringing tears to my eyes, but ultimately, it feels rushed and really just makes me think, “Oh, it’s like Field of Dreams.” Magic gone.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Okay, so Zoe Saldana, who, by the way really brought her A-game despite acting in such a blasé role, definitely helped bring the Guardians of the Galaxy vibes, but it was really the music and action combo that made Adam a poor man’s Peter Quill. The problem is that the music in Guardians was intentionally chosen to provide insight into Peters character and past (80s tracks) whereas the music in The Adam Project is just…a cool way to elevate the action scenes. Sure, ScreenRant will say that the song choices emphasize the sense of nostalgia in the film and compliment Adams sarcastic wit. The complementation to the sarcastic humor in the film? Ok, yea. I can see that. The nostalgia? Eh. The struggle here is that the nostalgia in the music brings us back to the 60s, 70s, and 80s (which to complicate the filmmaker’s inspiration web even further is why we get those 80s Spielberg undertones). Nostalgia for nostalgias sake just doesn’t feel honest. As Adam is from the 2010s, truly nostalgic music would be from 2018–2020, which would not translate as nostalgic to the viewers at home without some very clever world-building…so, I get it.
Still doesn’t work, unfortunately.
***
The Adam Project has good bones, good building blocks, even if they were repurposed from other stories. And the general plot line does work. It has the classic two-goal structure and elements of the hero’s journey, but it leaves us wanting more because it never decides what it wants to be.
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