Time Travel Comedy Loses Its Way: ‘The Adam Project’ Catches Its Own Tail

“The Adam Project” wants to be a time-travel comedy about a father who gets pulled back to his younger self, but it keeps circling back to the same set pieces instead of landing anywhere new. The movie follows Adam Reed, played by Ryan Reynolds, who travels from 2050 to 2022 to save his younger self, played by Jacob Tremblay, from a fate that would erase him from existence. The setup is clever, but the execution keeps repeating itself.

Trailer, via Netflix.

Time Travel That Never Travels

The film’s central idea is simple: a man who has spent decades fighting in a future war returns to change history. That premise could carry a tight, emotional story about legacy and regret. Instead, “The Adam Project” leans on action sequences, car chases and explosions, treating the time travel rules as a toy box rather than a character engine.

Reynolds plays the older Adam as a hardened soldier, while Tremblay plays the younger Adam as a curious kid. The dynamic is meant to be heartwarming, but the script keeps bouncing between the two Adams without letting either fully develop. The result is a film that spends more time explaining its own rules than exploring what they mean for the characters.

The Kids Carry More Weight Than the Adults

Tremblay is the standout performer. His younger Adam is the one who actually grows over the course of the film, learning to stand up for himself and his family. Reynolds, by contrast, plays the older Adam as a man who has lost something, but the script never digs deep enough to make that loss feel earned. The chemistry between the two Adams is the film’s best trick, even when the plot around them sputters.

The supporting cast is competent but thin. Zoe Saldana plays the villain with a cartoonish menace that feels borrowed from other blockbusters. Mark Rylance shows up as a mentor figure, and he’s the closest the film comes to having a genuine adult presence, but his scenes are few and far between.

The Same Chase, Twice

“The Adam Project” is at its weakest when it tries to build tension through action. The film opens with a car chase, and it closes with a car chase. In between, there’s another car chase. Each one is choreographed with skill, but the repetition flattens the stakes. By the final act, the audience knows exactly what’s coming next, and the film doesn’t bother hiding it.

The film also struggles with its tone. It wants to be a heartfelt drama about fathers and sons, but it keeps slipping into broad comedy, especially in the middle stretch. This tonal whiplash is the movie’s biggest problem, and it leaves viewers unsure whether they’re supposed to laugh or cry.

What Works

Despite the problems, there are moments where “The Adam Project” finds its footing:

1. The relationship between the two Adams, particularly in the quieter scenes where they talk about the future.
2. The film’s early setup, which sells the stakes of the mission before the action kicks in.
3. The performances from Tremblay and Rylance, who ground the film in human feeling.

Comparing the Two Adams

Where It Falls Short

The film’s biggest failure is its inability to commit to its own rules. Time travel stories work when they force characters to make impossible choices. “The Adam Project” sets up a ticking clock and then spends too much time on spectacle to let the clock matter. The result is a film that looks flashy but feels hollow.

“The Adam Project” is a mixed bag. It has a strong core idea, a decent cast and some genuinely touching moments, but it can’t seem to stop chasing its own tail. The car chases are fun, the jokes land occasionally, and the relationship between the two Adams is the film’s saving grace. But the plot keeps circling back on itself, and the film never quite reaches the heights its premise suggests.

action comedy · Jacob Tremblay · movie review · Ryan Reynolds · time travel