The Adam Project (2022)

Walker Scobell does a Ryan Reynolds impression so good it’s a little unsettling, and the trick is that he’s playing young Ryan Reynolds opposite Ryan Reynolds. That casting gag carries The Adam Project further than it has any right to go. Grown Adam and kid Adam roast each other nonstop, and the kid wins most rounds. The action is the weak part: masked soldiers from the future, a glowing-gadget fight in the woods, and a villain whose digitally de-aged younger self looks like a phone filter that came to life. Shawn Levy keeps it moving at 106 minutes, but you can feel the streaming-service formula. The surprise is Mark Ruffalo. Once the dad shows up, the movie stops showing off and finds something real about grief and second chances. Jennifer Garner gets one bar scene with Reynolds that hits harder than the whole finale. A 6.0 because the family stuff is genuine and the time travel is boilerplate. $767.08 says you try to give your younger self a pep talk in the mirror tonight and lose the argument.

What works: Walker Scobell and Ryan Reynolds have hilarious mirror-image chemistry, and Mark Ruffalo brings real warmth to the father scenes.

What doesn’t: The action scenes are generic and weightless, and the de-aged villain looks distractingly fake.

Who it’s for: Families looking for a time travel adventure with jokes for the parents and a good cry at the end.