Under the lens takes a deep look at films by focusing in on one or two particular areas of the picture that helped to define it for better or for worse.
The Adam Project is a 2022 American science fiction adventure film directed by Shawn Levy, and stars Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Jennifer Garner, and Mark Ruffalo. It follows the story of a time-traveling pilot who must team up with his younger self and his late father to come to terms with his past while saving the future from an evil villain, who wants to control time itself.
UNDER THE LENS: VISUALS & RELATIONSHIPS
Visuals: The Adam Project is a beautiful looking film, which is no surprise as its cinematographer is Tobias Schliessler, whose credits include the live-action Beauty and the Beast, Lone Survivor, and A Wrinkle in Time. The whole film has a hyper-stylized, dreamy feel to it, many have pointed out its resemblance to such pictures as E.T, and The Goonies. It certainly has a 1980s Steven Spielberg feel and style to it, I caught myself feeling very nostalgic for times gone by.
One scene that stands out is the forest home that Adam and his Mom live in, it’s beautiful and is something ripped right out of a storybook. When future Adam lands his ship, we get an exceptional sequence, of young Adam walking through the trees at night and seeing the air full of floating embers, drifting down, it’s a gorgeous looking moment.
The fight scenes are also well-choreographed, with an impressive array of punches, kicks, and plasma saber dueling! One thing I thought was very creative was how when someone dies outside their “Timeline” they explode into a cloud of rainbow-colored dust. This was done as a way to keep the violence low, but it was a very creative way to showcase the perils of time travel and what it may mean to fight and die outside one’s own time.
Relationships: The Adam Project may be a sci-fi time travel adventure, but at its core, it’s about the relationship that parents have with their kids. Young Adam is devastated by the death of his father, and future Adam has allowed the grief to poison his whole memory of his dad, and then takes out his anger on his mother. Two moments stand out, the first is when Ryan Reynolds Adam and Jennifer Garner have a heart-to-heart in a bar, she is beating herself up over how she is raising her son, and future Adam talks with her reassuring and comforting her. It’s a tear-inducing moment that shows the bond between a son and his mother.
The second scene involves Adam’s father played by Mark Ruffalo, as he talks with both his future sons. He realizes how hurt his older son is by his death and takes a moment to hug him and tell him how much he loves him and is proud of him. The picture goes to great lengths to showcase how impotent a father is to his son, and how the absence of a father can devastate one’s life. Ryan Reynolds’s Adam is hurt and that hurt has ruined his whole memory of his father, as it was easier to hate him than live with the pain of losing him. At the end of the picture, Adam is healed and able to move on and have a good life with great memories of his father, knowing he was loved.
HIGHLIGHTS
Ryan Reynolds and Walker Scobell both have great chemistry together, it was easy to believe that Scobell was a young Reynolds.
The action is tightly shot and exciting to watch and were framed with nice environmental locations they take place in.
The film is awash in the 80s, but it never felt over the top, the music and stylization was well done, and brought that classic 80s adventure feel.
QUOTABLE QUOTE
Adam: I spent 30 years trying to get away from the me that was you. And I’ll tell you what: you were the best part all along.
SOMTHING TO THINK ABOUT
How was your relationship with your mom or dad? Did you carry around pain or issues you have not dealt with yet? Maybe its time to work through some of those feelings with someone you trust.
CONCLUSION
Overall The Adam Project is a splashy homage to the family adventure films of the 1980s. It’s a dreamy, hyper-stylized world that has a fun story and good effects for being a streaming picture. It is anchored by the strong performances of Ryan Reynolds and Walker Scobell, who are perfect playing two sides of the same coin, I honestly bought Walker as a young Ryan. The picture has an emotional core about valuing your parents and accepting your past.
The Adam Project is a fun adventure picture that is perfect for the whole family, It is fun, exciting, and may bring a tear to your eye. So gather the family, make some popcorn and check it out, you won’t be disappointed.
