Movie Review

Ryan Reynolds time travels to his younger self in The Adam Project

Walker Scobell and Ryan Reynolds in The Adam Project.

Photo by Doane Gregory Netflix

Over the years, the preponderance of time travel movies has led to certain rules, although not all films agree. Some films warn characters never to interact with their younger selves. Some films say characters shouldn’t do anything that would alter their future timeline, while others throw caution to the wind, positing that time is a fixed loop no matter what. And the films themselves have to be entertaining, because imagining time travel shouldn’t be a drag.

The new Netflix film The Adam Project references those rules and more along its imperfect journey. Twelve-year-old Adam (Walker Scobell) is living an okay-if-somewhat sad life in 2022 with his mom, Ellie, (Jennifer Garner), as both are still grieving the death of Adam’s dad, Louis (Mark Ruffalo). A quiet night at home alone for Adam is interrupted by the sudden appearance of his 40-year-old self (Ryan Reynolds), who’s on a very personal mission.

Both the older Adam and his wife, Laura (Zoe Saldaña), are pilots in a future time travel program run by Maya Sorian (Catherine Keener). When a trip back in time goes awry for Laura, Adam goes rogue in search of her, accidentally ending up at his old house in the process. With no choice but to involve his younger self when the powers-that-be come after him, the two Adams work together to try to achieve the older Adam’s goal.

Reynolds re-teams with his Free Guy director, Shawn Levy, for this film, with about as much success as that middling entry. The biggest mistake the filmmakers, which includes a quartet of writers, make is that they take the allure of time travel for granted. Aside from a brief moment of shock, the younger Adam expresses close to zero wonder at interacting with his older self. Likewise, the older Adam is disillusioned with the whole concept of time travel, putting a sour note on the overall plot.

There is also a bit too much going on with the story. There’s the sci-fi element, one that’s shown but not really explained. There’s the emotional family part, which scores some points, but gets less screentime than it should. There’s the romantic angle with older Adam and Laura, which never truly lands. And there’s an evil corporation subplot, one that never makes sense, especially in the context of this particular time travel film.

And so the film winds up as just a mish-mash of semi-interesting scenes, ones that are individually watchable but never coalesce as a compelling whole. My mind started turning to a variety of things not related to the story, such as how Reynolds can be so charming yet rarely be in a movie that matches his charisma. Or how it’s nice that they cast Garner and Ruffalo — who were paired romantically in 13 Going on 30 — as a married couple, but wonder why they only share one scene together. Or how the film makes perhaps the worse use of de-aging technology yet when showing a younger version of Keener.

Reynolds, as mentioned, has an appeal that’s magnetic, but this is yet another example of that only being good enough to make half a good movie. Scobell does well in his acting debut, although his part is mostly in deference to that of Reynolds. Garner makes the most impact of the supporting cast, while Saldaña, Ruffalo, and Keener needed to have their parts fleshed out a bit more.

Time travel movies can bring up lots of mind-bending ideas, which is often half the fun of those stories. The Adam Project only hints at that kind of thinking, and consequently it never rises to the level of other, better movies with similar stories.

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The Adam Project debuts on Netflix and in select theaters on March 11.

Walker Scobell and Ryan Reynolds in The Adam Project.

Walker Scobell and Ryan Reynolds in The Adam Project

Photo by Doane Gregory/Netflix

Walker Scobell and Ryan Reynolds in The Adam Project.

Weekend event planner

Here are the 14 best things to do in Houston this Christmas weekend

Nutcracker Magical Christmas Ballet

Photo courtesy of Nutcracker Magical Christmas Ballet

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So, Thursday is the big day, when many Houstonians will get together with family and/or friends to celebrate Christmas with presents, egg nog, and a festive meal.

But that doesn’t mean there still won’t be events popping off this weekend. Some are holiday-related (like Stages’ staging of The Twelve Dates of Christmas and the Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet going down in Sugar Land), while others are just some fun things to do (like watching some college football at NRG Stadium or attending the birthday bash of a local punk legend at Dan Electro’s).

Whatever you do, just have a holly, jolly time this weekend.

Thursday, December 25

Toro Toro presents Christmas Brunch
Embark on a brunch journey over at Toro Toro this Christmas. Executive chef Jonathan Esparza and his team have prepared an extensive, Christmas brunch buffet menu, featuring a selection of traditional holiday dishes and interactive stations. Brunch is priced at $145 per adult and $65 per child (11 and under; children 5 and under eat free). Dinner will also be served a la carte from 5:30 to 10 pm. 10 am.

Juliet Steakhouse & Fine Dining presents Holiday Buffet Feast
Juliet will be serving up a fabulous Christmas Day buffet, priced at $59 for adults and $28 for kids 12 and under (children under 5 dine free). The buffet includes carved-to-order turkey and filet mignon, plus sides such as mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, candied yams, cornbread dressing, mac and cheese, collard greens, dinner rolls, Caesar salad, and lobster bisque. Desserts include peach cobbler, sweet potato pie, and assorted cookies. Noon.

The Flat presents DJ Sun’s A James Brown Christmas Tribute
DJ Sun will be giving the gift of funk, with The Flat’s annual James Brown musical tribute. Flash Gordon Parks will also be spinning some cuts written, produced, and/or performed by the hardest-working man in show business. Special holiday cocktails will also be served, so pull up and close out Christmas night the right way: by getting funky with it! 8 pm.

Friday, December 26

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Little Kid Flicks and Big Kid Flicks
A holiday season favorite at the MFAH, Kid Flicks is a compilation of fun, artful, inspired, and thought-provoking short film compilations presented in partnership with the New York International Children’s Film Festival. These award-winning short films offer a chance to explore new frontiers from around the world, across the street, and the ever-expanding boundaries of our own perspectives. Little Kid Flicks is designed for ages 5 and up. Big Kid Flicks is designed for ages 8 and up. 11:30 am and 2 pm.

Downtown Houston+ presents Movies Under the Stars: The Fighting Temptations
As part of their Movies Under the Stars series, Downtown Houston+ will present a screening of the 2003 comedy The Fighting Temptations, where our own Beyoncé Knowles-Carter stars as a talented young singer who helps a childhood friend (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) revive a struggling church choir, at Trebly Park. Visitors are encouraged to grab takeout from a surrounding restaurant and bring their own lawn blanket to enjoy the screening. 6:30 pm.

Improv Houston presents Marcus D. Wiley
The son of a preacher, Christian comedian (and former Texas Southern University professor) Marcus D. Wiley's charismatic style of delivery is clean, captivating, funny, and knowledgeable. He provides lots of laughter along with a guaranteed message on being a better you. Earlier this year, Wiley released his third, hour-long special Marriage Is Major Surgery (executive-produced by Houston stand-up star Ali Siddiq) on YouTube. 7:30 and 9:45 pm (7 pm Saturday).

Stages presents The Twelve Dates of Christmas
After seeing her fiance kiss another woman at the televised Thanksgiving Day Parade, Mary’s life falls apart — just in time for the holidays. Over the next year, she stumbles back into the dating world. It seems nothing can help Mary’s growing cynicism, until the charm and innocence of a five-year-old boy unexpectedly brings a new outlook on life and love. This heartwarming one-woman play offers a hilarious and modern alternative to the old standards of the holiday season. 7:30 pm (3 and 7:30 pm Saturday; 3 pm Sunday).

Saturday, December 27

Wonky Power presents Jazz & Jokes
A new night of stand-up, cocktails, and live jazz will debut inside one of Houston’s most intimate creative rooms. Jazz & Jokes brings together two of the best live experiences — laughter and live music — curated for a cozy, seated evening at Wonky Power. Featuring a rotating cast of special stand-up comedians from Houston and beyond, paired with a live jazz band setting the mood all night, this night will offer a warm, relaxed atmosphere, great drinks, and a room built for performance. 7 pm.

Kinder's Texas Bowl: Houston vs. LSU
The 2025 Kinder's Texas Bowl will feature a matchup between the Houston Cougars of the Big 12 Conference, making its 31st all-time bowl appearance, and the LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Conference. Houston enters the Texas Bowl ranked No. 21 in the College Football Playoff rankings with a 9-3 overall record, its best record since 2021. This will mark the first time the Cougars have played in the Bowl since 2007. 8:15 pm.

The Garden Theatre presents Cruel Intentions
Based on the 1999 teen flick, Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical pulls audiences into the manipulative world of Manhattan’s most dangerous liaisons: Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil. Fueled by revenge and passion, the diabolically charming step-siblings place a bet on whether or not Sebastian can deflower their incoming headmaster’s daughter, Annette Hargrove. The musical features throwback hits by artists like Christina Aguilera, 'NSYNC, and Britney Spears. Through Sunday, January 11. 8 pm (2 and 8 pm Saturday; 2 pm Sunday).

Goode Co. Armadillo Palace presents Roger Creager Piano Bar
Award-winning country singer/Texas native Roger Creager will be in town to do a post-Xmas set at Goode Co. Armadillo Palace. With more than a dozen No. 1 singles on the Texas Music Chart and Entertainer of the Year honors from both CMA Texas and the Texas Music Awards, Creager brings a mix of road-tested songwriting and bold melodies. Dine on authentic Texas fare, including signature house favorites the Damn Goode Burger and the Damn Goode Margarita. 9 pm.

Sunday, December 28

Dan Electro’s presents J.R.’s Birthday Bash
Houston punk pioneer (and all-around good guy) J.R. Delgado has been a member of multiple punk, hardcore and garage rock bands. He was also the owner of the legendary rock club The Axiom in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. This weekend, he’lll be celebrating his 70th birthday at Dan Electro’s, and he’ll be having a free throwdown everyone is invited to. Hickoids, Jane Woe, and Bastard Union will be providing the live jams, while DJ LP will be spinning music all day. 1 pm.

Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet
|Over at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land, Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet will highlight an international cast and Ukrainian principal artists performing at the peak of classical European ballet. Audiences will be transported by the magic of jaw-dropping acrobatics, larger-than-life puppets, and hand-crafted sets and costumes. Share the tradition of pure holiday magic and Tchaikovsky’s timeless score with friends and family of all ages. 3 pm.

Arthouse Houston presents Hedwig and the Angry Inch with John Cameron Mitchell
Arthouse Houston will present a one-night-only event of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, with star/creator John Cameron Mitchell. The 2001 indie musical classic (based on Mitchell’s off-Broadway play) follows Hedwig, an East Berliner transplant and lead singer in a band, who is chasing down his ex for stealing his songs. The screening will be accompanied by a live director's commentary by Mitchell, and followed by a live music set led by Mitchell, with band members Amber Martin and Chapman Welch. (Read CultureMap’s exclusive interview with Mitchell here.) 7:30 pm.

Nutcracker Magical Christmas Ballet

Photo courtesy of Nutcracker Magical Christmas Ballet

Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet will perform in Sugar Land this weekend.

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