Pop the popcorn!
There is no shortage of family movies out there: the Pixar animations, the classics like Jumanji, the PG rom coms like The Princess Diaries. But while there are definitely choices, there are very few *new* options that parents actually feel safe watching with their kids. There’s always a need to cover their eyes when the scenes get a little risque, or the cursing gets a little too intense. But we have a gem in our midst with The Adam Project.Â
The Adam Project follows Adam throughout different time points in his life (Ryan Reynolds playing the adult, and with Walker Scobell playing the younger version of the character). As an adult, he travels to the past to try and rectify some personal wrongs; as a child, he’s suffering from the pain of losing his father and taking it out on his mother.
But what makes it such a great choice for family movie nights?
The film dabbles in relationships, whether familial, romantic or personal. It dives deep into the reasons why we do what we do, and what could make us do the unthinkable. Is it for personal gain? Is it for the good of all mankind? Or do we just want a few more moments with the people that we lost?
There is, to put it simply, something for everyone—no matter what stage you are in your life. And without sacrificing one character’s development for another, we learn enough about these characters to cheer them on, hate them, or want to give them a hug. You learn about them without being overwhelmed by them—and that perfect balance does not happen often.Â
Who doesn’t love a fight without the gory details? The Adam Project is set both in our present and in the future, and the result is a great mix of gun fights and battles with lightsabers, flying machines and people that appear from nowhere at any given time and disperse into the air when killed. It’s entertaining, to say the least.Â
When it comes down to it, the real importance of a family movie is the heart of it—and The Adam Project has plenty of it. At its surface, the movie clothes itself in shallow humor and a star-studded cast, but it really is so much more. It unexpectedly took me, my pre-teen nieces and parents along for the ride. There were no bathroom breaks, no refilling of the popcorn bucket; we were seated comfortably and endlessly entertained. I can’t speak for the rest of my family, but there were definite moments that made me rethink my relationship with everyone else that was watching with me.
And that’s really it, isn’t it? That is exactly why I can undoubtedly suggest that everyone with Netflix access watch this movie. My only request is that you watch it with family, whether virtually or physically together. You deserve that kind of moment.
Catch “The Adam Project” on Netflix.Â
Art Macky Arquilla
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