The Adam Project (2022)
Directed by Shawn Levy
No · Ultra Based
How we score movies →Consciousness Markers
The cast includes Zoe Saldaña and other actors of color, but they occupy supporting roles with limited narrative agency and development.
While the cast includes actors of color, the film does not address racial issues or demonstrate racial consciousness in its storytelling.
Jennifer Garner appears as a mother figure, but the narrative does not engage with feminist themes or gender-based social commentary.
While the film contains some emotional speeches about personal redemption and father-son relationships, it avoids lecturing about social justice or progressive causes.
No LGBTQ+ themes, characters, or representation are present in the film.
No climate-related themes or environmental consciousness are present in the film.
The film contains no critique of capitalism, wealth inequality, or corporate systems.
No body positivity messaging or diverse body representation beyond standard action film casting is evident.
No neurodivergent characters or representation are present in the film.
The film does not engage with historical revision or reexamination of historical narratives.
Synopsis
After accidentally crash-landing in 2022, time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed teams up with his 12-year-old self on a mission to save the future.
Why it received this score
The Adam Project stands as a monument to narrative economy in service of spectacle. Ryan Reynolds pilots a time-traveling fighter through 2022 to rescue his younger self, and the film executes this premise with the precision of a military operation and the emotional depth of a greeting card. The story centers on masculine introspection and paternal reconciliation, which are respectable themes, though hardly novel in the action-comedy space. The film contains a moderately diverse ensemble cast, including Zoe Saldaña and Mark Ruffalo, yet their presence functions as window dressing rather than substantive characterization. There is no examination of systemic inequality, no interrogation of economic structures, no wrestling with environmental collapse, and no meaningful engagement with the progressive cultural consciousness that has come to dominate contemporary cinema. The film simply does not attempt to say anything about society beyond the personal redemption of a middle-aged man. This is not a criticism so much as an observation. The Adam Project is comfortable in its apolitical stance, content to be a streamlined action vehicle with jokes and emotional beats calculated for maximum audience appeal. One might call this restraint, or one might call it disinterest. The film remains agnostic on such matters.
Analysis generated by our Consciousness Algorithm
Critic Reviews
“The Adam Project is a thoughtful, witty mash-up of all the movies from my childhood. It’s Back to the Future meets The Last Starfighter with a slew of wonderful performances from a cast that clearly loves the concept as much as I do. Ryan Reynolds is on top form as Adam, while Walker Scobell matches him punch for punch with a great debut performance. ”
“There is genuine tenderness in his realization that anger does not prevent sadness and that second chances are possible. The action and fantasy are fun, but this is what families will want to talk about after they watch it together.”
“It's not often anymore that you find a film everyone in the family can enjoy, but The Adam Project is that and more. Think "Guardians of the Galaxy" vibes, but a little more low-key.”
“There’s almost nothing the film does well, but that doesn’t stop it donning a winner’s smirk while it copies every 1980s science fiction smash you’ve ever seen. ”