The Adam Project The Adam Project

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The Adam Project: Sci-fi fun with a heart

Easily the best Ryan Reynolds X Netflix tandem so far

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Time traveler goes back in time to team up with his old self to foil a villain’s nefarious plans. The premise of The Adam Project is generic sci-fi, but it’s generic sci-fi done well. 

The movie stars Ryan Reynolds (as adult Adam Reed) and is easily the best from his Netflix films. The previous ones are 6 Underground which is a feature-length Michael Bay trailer and Red Notice which was a fun heist flick but ultimately felt hollow. 

With The Adam Project, Reynolds teams up again with Free Guy Director Shawn Levy, to deliver something geeky but also with a lot of heart. 

Generic, but still fun, sci-fi 

In terms of the sci-fi elements, The Adam Project doesn’t really offer anything new or original. And that’s mostly okay. Instead, it’s self-aware of the references it makes. There’s even a quick scene capturing this as the older Adam tells younger Adam (played by Walker Scobell) how they watch too many movies. This, after Scobbel asked if there is such a thing as the multiverse which has become a staple of late in mainstream comic book franchises. 

The other obvious reference as shown on the movie’s trailer is Reynolds’ weapon which looks a lot like a lightsaber from the Star Wars franchise. 

Overall, the sci-fi and geeky references made are cool and should get at least a smile or a chuckle from fans. But ultimately, these just serve as the dressing for the story and themes of the film. 

Dealing with repressed emotions

The Adam Project

The Adam Project (L to R) Ryan Reynolds as Big Adam, Mark Ruffalo as Louis Reed and Walker Scobell as Young Adam. Cr. Doana Gregory/Netflix © 2022

The overall narrative structure is also pretty simple. My guess is this is to appeal even to younger audiences. The action and story that ensues after old Adam meets his younger self is pretty standard and predictable especially if you’ve been exposed to several blockbuster films before. 

But the key difference here, and from the rest of Reynolds’ Netflix films, is that this one really feels well-acted. Every A-list actor (the film also stars Jennifer Garner, Zoe Zaldana, and Mark Ruffalo)  in the cast plays their characters well. No one was just mailing it in. 

Quick side note on the acting

I initially thought Reynolds will pull back on the merc-with-a-mouth persona here but that isn’t the case. Instead, he’s still mostly playing himself with Scobell embodying the smart mouth attitude as a kid. 

The Adam Project

The Adam Project (L to R) Jennifer Garner as Ellie and Mark Ruffalo as Louis Reed. Cr. Doane Gregory/Netflix © 2022

What elevates The Adam Project are the interactions between the main cast and their relationships with each other. The conflict between them feels real and it has a lot to do with repressing emotions. In particular, the relationship of Adam Reed (both old and young) with his parents played by Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo, play a central part on the core theme of the movie.  

It’s a familial struggle that I’m pretty sure plenty will be able to relate to in one form of the other. The exchange between the two Adam Reeds during a turning point of the movie felt a little on the nose, but it still delivers the right level of emotion to pull you in and make you feel what they’re feeling.

And the eventual release, when the two Reeds have their moment with their parents, actually pays-off. 

Should you watch The Adam Project

The Adam Project

The Adam Project (L to R) Ryan Reynolds as Big Adam and Zoe Saldana as Laura. Cr. Doane Gregory/Netflix © 2022

The majority of this piece might have made the movie sound underwhelming but those were strictly my objective observations. Overall, it’s a really enjoyable film. 

The action set pieces were very entertaining. The special effects were eye-popping. The geeky references are smile-inducing. And the culmination of the story is heartwarming. 

The Adam Project doesn’t offer anything new for sci-fi. What it is, rather, is a celebration and poking a little fun at the genre all while telling an engaging story. 

It might not blow your socks off, but I definitely see this as a movie that the whole family can enjoy. 

The Adam Project streams on Netflix on March 11. | All images courtesy of Netflix.

Entertainment

Transformers One trailer: Get to know Optimus Prime, Megatron’s origin stories

In cinemas September 18

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Transformers One

Paramount Pictures has released the trailer for Transformers One, the upcoming latest installment of the Transformers film franchise.

Before fans get excited for the Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover, this animated film focuses first on Optimus Prime’s relationship with his adversary, Megatron.

The origin story is set in Cybertron, long before the transformers land on earth in the chronological timeline.

The trailer reveals Optimus Prime’s previous name, Orion Pax. On the other hand, Megatron was previously known by D-16.

Joined by Elita-1 and Bumblebee, the two main protagonists journey to Cybertron’s surface, which hasn’t been explored beforehand due to the dangers it is said to have.

On the surface, the crew realizes that right away, but are bestowed the power to transform. After some figuring, they manage to utilize this ability to defend Cybertron from intruders.

Overall, the three-minute trailer gives a lighter and funnier vibe. That’s in contrast to the previous iterations where the story is more serious from the get-go.

The transformers’ appearance also looks simpler and more toned down, giving an old school feel which is appropriate, considering this movie is set an earlier time when Cybertron was more intact.

Transformers One is showing on Philippine cinemas on September 18. The voice cast includes Chris Hemsworth as Optimus Prime, Brian Tyree Henry as Megatron, Keegan-Michael Key as Bumblebee, and Scarlett Johansson.

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Joker: Folie à Deux 1st trailer finally released

The world is a stage

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Joker Folie a Deux

Warner Bros. Pictures has finally released the first trailer for upcoming musical thriller Joker: Folie à Deux. The two-and-a-half minute trailer debuted at CinemaCon. The Todd Phillips masterpiece will hit the big screens in the Philippines on October 2.

Phillips’ own take on a story loosely based from famed characters from DC, Joker: Folie à Deux was originally intended to be standalone film given that it is a musical. However, it eventually became a sequel to the Academy Award-winning Joker movie from 2019. The short clip shows titular lead actor Joaquin Phoenix and, for the first time, Lady Gaga.

Joker Folie a Deux

The trailer aptly starts with Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck character in solitary confinement inside Arkham. If you can recall, the end of the 2019 movie showed the Joker walking with bloodied footprints. This means he presumably killed the therapist he was trying to tell a joke to.

Inside the asylum, Joker meets Gaga’s character Harley Quinn. This is one of the obvious changes to the iconic DC character’s origin story. The movie depicts Quinn as Joker’s fellow patient, instead of being a psychiatrist in the asylum who eventually falls in love and helps her partner in crime escape. The clip eventually transitions to the two protagonists dancing in the streets. Hal David’s “What the World Needs Now Is Love” plays along.

Joker Folie a Deux

Towards the end, Gaga then dons a red blazer with black-and-white diamond checkered top inside. It’s nowhere near the classic Harley Quinn jester costume that Margot Robbie once put on in the first Suicide Squad installment, but it’s obvious that the getup somehow takes some of those elements.

The trailer concludes with Harley Quinn telling Joker, “I wanna see the real you” as she draws the latter’s signature red lips on a glass divider separating the two. It can definitely mean that Fleck is incarcerated for that particular scene, and it could be the scene that jumpstarts the escape from Arkham. Who knows? We can only wait until October to find out.

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Fallout on Prime Video: What inspired producers to create series

From video game to TV series

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Prime Video-exclusive series Fallout is finally streaming next week. Based from the popular video game franchise that has spanned decades, Fallout is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland world. It is quite reminiscent of the video games’ original environment that is damaged by nuclear war.

If you need quick refresher, Prime Video released the series’ official trailer a month ago. READ: New Fallout trailer dwells upon The Ghoul, brotherhood, more

So, what inspired the producers to come up with the sci-fi adaptation? According to Jonathan Nolan, who directed the first three episodes, the Fallout 3 game became his “entry point.”

“It’s dark, violent, but it’s also satirical and in some places almost goofy. It’s all these amazing things in one. I’ve never really experienced anything quite like it,” Nolan shared.

Bethesda’s 2008 action RPG was the third installment in the main Fallout video game series. The game featured the Great War of 2077, the several underground bunkers called vaults, and a vast wasteland set particularly in Eastern United States. Based on the trailers alone, the creators have worked with these elements for the series version.

Ten years after coming across the title, Nolan then met with Fallout 3 developer Todd Howard to explore the possibility of a TV series. Howard mentioned how Nolan played the game dedicatedly, and that the latter was “in sync” with what he was thinking.

Nolan’s vision led to the recruitment of the series’ two other directors: Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner. The creative trio crafted an original narrative within the Fallout universe that was consistent with the game’s storyline.

Robertson-Dworet added: “We’re not just adapting a game; we’re crafting a new story that delves deep into the complexities of humanity post-nuclear apocalypse.”

The Fallout series begins with a nuclear apocalypse, then a 219-year jump into the future – where life underground offers comfort and order, while the surface is a battleground for survival.

The series stars Ella Purnell as Lucy, Aaron Moten as Maximus, and Walton Goggins as The Ghoul, among others. Fallout premieres on April 11.

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