Moviefone Editorial

Tag: jennifer garner

  • Movie Review: ‘The Adam Project’

    Reynolds fighting robots
    (L to R) Walker Scobell and Ryan Reynolds in Netflix’s ‘The Adam Project’

    Premiering on Netflix beginning March 11th is the new time-traveling movie ‘The Adam Project,’ from ‘Free Guy’ director Shawn Levy. The film stars ‘Free Guy’ and ‘Deadpool’ actor Ryan Reynolds as a time-traveling pilot from the future who travels to the past and teams-up with the 12-year-old version of himself in order to save the timeline.

    In addition to Reynolds, the cast also features Zoe Saldana, Jennifer Garner, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, and newcomer Walker Scobell. The result is a really fun and fresh take on time-traveling comedies like ‘Back to the Future,’ but also adds the emotion of ‘Field of Dreams,’ and features terrific performances from Reynolds and the rest of the cast.

    The movie begins by introducing us to Adam Reed (Reynolds), a rebellious pilot from the future who steals a spaceship and travels to 2022, while he is pursued by law enforcement. We are then introduced to a 12-year-old version of Adam (Scobell), who lives alone with his mom (Garner) after his father, Louis Reed’s (Ruffalo) recent death. The two Adams soon meet, and the older Adam explains that in the future, time travel exists, and that he has returned to find his girlfriend Laura (Saldana), who went missing after a recent mission.

    With soldiers from the future chasing the older Adam, he soon finds Laura and discovers the truth behind her disappearance. Laura explains to Adam that the timeline has been changed by powerful business woman Maya Sorian (Keener), and it is up to them to stop her from permanently changing the future. Realizing that it was their own father’s scientific experiments that led to the creation of time travel, the two Adams go back to before their dad’s death to get his help in stopping Sorian, who at the time, was Louis’ business partner.

    (L to R) Zoe Saldana and Ryan Reynolds in 'The Adam Project.' Photo via Twitter.
    (L to R) Zoe Saldana and Ryan Reynolds in Netflix’s ‘The Adam Project.’

    I can’t begin to tell you what a joy it was to watch this film. In a market place packed with sequels, remakes, reboots, and movies based on previous source material, it is so refreshing to see a completely original movie as good as ‘The Adam Project.’ Written by Jonathan Trooper, T.S. Nowlin, Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin, the film is completely original and could easily become a franchise in the future.

    ‘The Adam Project’ marks director Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds second collaboration, after last year’s terrific ‘Free Guy.’ As much as I enjoyed that film, ‘Adam Project’ is even better than ‘Free Guy’ and packs more of an emotional punch, especially with its father/son themes.

    Shawn Levy is an incredibly talented director, but I didn’t care much for his early films, including ‘Cheaper by the Dozen,’ ‘The Pink Panther’ and the ‘Night at the Museum’ franchise. But 2011’s ‘Real Steel’ showed elements of what the filmmaker is truly capable of when he takes on more adult themed projects like ‘Date Night,’ ‘The Internship,’ ‘This Is Where I Leave You,’ and ‘Free Guy.’ ‘The Adam Project’ is a true culmination of his entire career, and the best movie he’s ever directed.

    The supporting cast is excellent, including Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo, who form a mini ’13 Going on 30’ reunion with their pairing as Adam’s parents. The two actors anchor the sci-fi elements of the movie with grounded and realistic performances. Garner is wonderful as Adam’s grieving widowed mother, who is trying to do her best raising a son by herself.

    And if you have ever lost a parent, you’ll understand what an amazing moment it is in the movie when both Adams get to spend one more day with their departed dad. Ruffalo, much like Garner, ignores the science fiction in the plot and focuses on the relatable aspects of the screenplay giving a realistic and emotionally moving performance.

    Ryan and Zoe arms around each other
    (L to R) Zoe Saldana and Ryan Reynolds in Netflix’s ‘The Adam Project.’

    Zoe Saldana plays older Adam’s love interest and is in many ways the heart of the film, even if she has limited screen time. Saldana has great chemistry with Reynolds and plays off his comedic wit quite well.

    Catherine Kenner plays the film’s antagonist Maya Sorian, and while the actress gives a solid performance, it is the least developed character in the movie. However, there are some great scenes where the actress acts opposite a younger version of herself, thanks to some really well done de-aging technology.

    Young actor Walker Scobell is a great addition to the veteran cast and gives a remarkable debut performance. He mimics Reynolds mannerisms and attitude perfectly and is very believable in the role.

    But in the end, the film belongs to Ryan Reynolds, and the actor gives the type of performance that only he can give. He plays older Adam with his trademark combo of arrogance and sarcasm, similar to his characters in ‘Deadpool’ and ‘Red Notice,’ but a little darker in some ways. However, he never allows Adam to become unlikable, even when he is arguing with his younger self. The actor also has some really nice emotional scenes with Saldana and Ruffalo and is completely believable in all the action sequences.

    ‘The Adam Project’ is the most original, fun, and entertaining movie I have seen in a long time. With a sequel to Levy and Reynolds’ ‘Free Guy’ already announced, I can only hope the director and actor find time to make more ‘Adam Project’s in the future.

    ‘The Adam Project’ receives 4.5 out of 5 stars.

    OWQXMzosUFXv5ZFdEABIu

  • ‘The Adam Project’ Sends Ryan Reynolds Back in Time

    (L to R) Zoe Saldana and Ryan Reynolds in 'The Adam Project.' Photo via Twitter.
    (L to R) Zoe Saldana and Ryan Reynolds in ‘The Adam Project.’ Photo via Twitter.

    It’s always a reassuring sign that a director and actor enjoyed working together so much that they immediately leap into another movie collaboration. In this case, it’s ‘Free Guy’ star Ryan Reynolds and filmmaker Shawn Levy, who already have ‘The Adam Project’ headed to screens via Netflix. The trailer for the sci-fi adventure is online.

    A different prospect from ‘Free Guy’, ‘The Adam Project’ finds Ryan Reynolds as the title character, a time-traveller on a mission to save the future from a mysterious cataclysm who crash-lands on Earth and ends up meeting his younger self (played by Walker Scobell).

    Back then, Adam was a troubled young man, still dealing with the loss of his father and bullied at school. Though he’s initially sceptical (and scared) of the new arrival, some very specific clues let him know that he is indeed face to face with his older self.

    A further wrinkle to this story is Adam (well, Adams) meeting their father, played by Mark Ruffalo, and the emotional consequences of that. And that’s without mentioning Zoe Saldana as future Adam’s colleague and love interest, a warrior who can take out enemies in fine style.

    TeDy1M3H

    Yet even with all that going on, ‘The Adam Project’ looks to boast a more grounded tone than ‘Free Guy’, with deeper emotional moments and a father-son-son story that should let Reynolds express himself besides his usual quippiness (though that is present and correct).

    It’s also very much in keeping with Levy’s style, as he’s shown a talent for combining heart, humor, effects, and action in his movies. Plus, he’s all over Netflix (and everywhere else – the man is a directing/producing machine), especially with his shepherding of ‘Stranger Things’.

    ‘The Adam Project’ also features the likes of Jennifer Garner and Catherine Keener, and a bevy of writers including ‘Warrior’s Jonathan Tropper, ‘The Maze Runner’s T.S. Nowlin, ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’s Jennifer Flackett & Mark Levin. That doesn’t always bode well for a movie, but we’re hoping that this is a rare exception.

    And it represents a chance to see Reynolds in action, given that he announced last year he was taking a break from acting to focus on family (and coming up with funny commercials for his various products. He will also be on our screens later this year, though, in musical movie ‘Spirited’ in which he stars alongside Will Ferrell.

    There’s also a hope he might finally get back in the ‘Deadpool’ suit for another movie. Plus, there are the various other sequels in development, including for ‘Free Guy’ and ‘Red Notice’.

    If the trailer has you anticipating the movie, you fortunately won’t have to hop into a time machine, just have a little patience. ‘The Adam Project’ will be on Netflix on March 11.

    OWQXMzosUFXv5ZFdEABIu
  • What to Watch this Week: ‘Cherry,’ ‘Yes Day,’ ‘kid90,’ ‘Own the Room’ & more

    What to Watch this Week: ‘Cherry,’ ‘Yes Day,’ ‘kid90,’ ‘Own the Room’ & more

    If you’re curious as to what new movie this week might be best for you, Moviefone is here to help you find it and watch it. This week’s films feature heavy drama, child stars, pretend werewolves, young entrepreneurs, and off-beat parenting. Here are the movies we’re suggesting this week:

    Cherry (Apple TV+)

    Tom Holland in 'Cherry'
    Tom Holland in ‘Cherry’

    If it seems like Tom Holland is everywhere these days, he is. In fact, he’s standing right behind you. This week on Apple TV+, he plays an Iraq veteran who returns home a war hero with serious PTSD. Fortunately for him, his true love Emily (Ciara Bravo) is there for him, but their life together isn’t without challenges. He spirals into drug use and crime, and keeps the worst possible company, and ends up in danger of losing the only things that keep him going.

    Watch It If: You love the collaboration of Tom Holland along with directors Anthony and Joe Russo of Marvel fame, and would love to see something a little (a lot) grittier than Spidey.
    xutcECfIOGjeqleIVuefS4

    Kid 90 (Hulu)

    Soleil Moon Frye in 'kid 90'
    Soleil Moon Frye in ‘kid 90’

    If it cheers you up to think of better days gone by, tune into Hulu for this documentary made by a former child star about herself and other kids on the precipice of fame in the 90s. Soleil Moon Frye from Punky Brewster (available now as a reboot, of course) filmed every second of her life before it was cool or common, and she captured friends like Mark Paul Gosselar and Bryan Austin Green, plus other recognizable faces from kids with only two names.

    Watch It If: You enjoy intimate portraits of people who assume every aspect of their lives is going to fascinate you (and it probably will), and if you consider it a sport to yell at the TV giving warnings to people who can’t hear you about the directions their shows and careers would take.
    xQfN97LkGlCfdf2Jnq2KC6

    Yes Day (Netflix)

    (L to R) Edgar Ramirez, Jenna Ortega, Everly Carganilla, Julian Lerner, and Jennifer Garner in 'Yes Day'
    (L to R) Edgar Ramirez, Jenna Ortega, Everly Carganilla, Julian Lerner, and Jennifer Garner in ‘Yes Day’

    Parents are so lame, always wanting to keep their kids from doing cool stuff like breaking limbs, costing them a fortune in cleaning bills, and eating candy for every meal. Jennifer Garner and Edgar Ramirez are two such buzzkill parents, so when their kids challenge them to a day of saying only yes, they have their work cut out for them. Chaos ensues, taking the family on one adventure after another–and certainly a couple of massive cleaning bills along the way.

    Watch It If: As a parent, you love giving your children terrible ideas. And if you don’t have kids, it’s just fun stuff to do when you can start having parties again.
    C1zKYq64PkKKSw5k3ofw75

    Own the Room (Disney+)

    Daniela Blanco, Co-founder of Sunthetics in 'Own the Room'
    Daniela Blanco, Co-founder of Sunthetics in ‘Own the Room’

    The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards are being held in Macau, China, and this Nat Geo documentary chronicles the lives of five entrants from all across the globe. Audiences will meet Alondra in Puerto Rico who works at her family bakery, Santosh, a Nepalese farmer, Henry, a programming genius from Nairobi, Jason from Greece who loves marketing, and Daniela, an immigrant fleeing the crisis in Venezuela. They’re competing for a $100,000 prize that will change their lives and make their businesses a reality.

    Watch It If: You need a dose of inspiration and want to feel like the future is bright, and have children who will join the movement.
    65YGA1D0X7ThFUW1fnKRd

    The Dead of Night (On Demand, Digital)

    Lance Henriksen and Colby Crain in 'The Dead of Night'
    Lance Henriksen and Colby Crain in ‘The Dead of Night’

    Siblings Tommy (Jake Etheridge) and June (Colby Crain) run a ranch in an isolated part of the country. Nearby, some shady drifters have donned wolf masks and are beginning a murder spree that’s going to turn the town upside down. They leave some bodies near the ranch, spurring fear and condemnation from the community, and then the lycanthropic wannabes set their sights on the ranch and the siblings that live on it.

    Watch It If: You feel compelled to howl at the moon, and at some appearances by Lance Henriksen and Matthew Lawrence.
    WJfjBmGUon843AzTqksk65

    Trust (In Theaters and On Demand)

    Victoria Justice and Lucien Laviscount in 'Trust'
    Victoria Justice and Lucien Laviscount in ‘Trust’

    Victoria Justice plays Brooke, a strong woman who has it all–great husband Owen (Matthew Daddario), successful art gallery, and in this movie, a new artist (Lucien Laviscount) she signed that promises to be very good for business and very bad for her marriage. While she is away on a business trip to Paris with the painter who clearly wants to make her the subject of one of his racy, intimate paintings, Owen runs into some temptation of his own in the form of a journalist (Katherine McNamara).

    Watch It If: You grew up seeing Victoria Justice on Nickelodeon’s Victorious and are ready to see her tackle entrepreneurship and infidelity, or if you’ve had to sop up the drool after seeing Lucien Laviscount on Coronation Street.
    DRRun695dH7pvfrYpXp5g1

    Adverse (VOD & DVD/Blu-ray)

    Mickey Rourke in 'Adverse'
    Mickey Rourke in ‘Adverse’

    Ethan (Thomas Nicholas) is a rideshare driver trying to make ends meet and take care of his sister Mia (Kelly Arjen). When he learns that she has gotten tangled up with a crazy drug dealer named Kaden (Mickey Rourke) and disappears, he becomes desperate to find her. He creates a plan to become close to Kaden as his driver and obliterate his team in the process.

    Watch It If: You’re in the mood for a crime thriller and/or Thomas Nicholas dropping his middle name (Ian) intrigues you.
    xrNzmZKX1wp9ZnRe0V39L1

  • Jennifer Garner Set to Star in Comedy ‘Fantasy Camp’

    Jennifer Garner Set to Star in Comedy ‘Fantasy Camp’

    HBO

    Jennifer Garner has been keeping herself busy lately, and isn’t slowing down anytime soon: She just nabbed the leading role in a new comedy flick.

    Deadline reports that Garner is set to star in a feature called “Fantasy Camp.” Here’s the film’s breakdown, per Deadline:

    ‘Fantasy Camp’ follows Julie to a reunion at the theater camp of her youth, Camp Footlights, where she will get the chance to challenge her fears, live out her dreams and finally take the stage.

    We’re assuming Garner will be playing Julie. No other stars or roles have been announced yet.

    The flick comes from filmmaking duo Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein, who will co-write and co-direct the project, based on the original script by Sid Karger. They previously helmed last year’s Amy Schumer rom-com “I Feel Pretty,” and also wrote the scripts for features including “Never Been Kissed,” “He’s Just Not That Into You,” and “The Vow.” Greg Silverman of Stampede and Adam Kolbrenner of Lit Entertainment Group are producing.

    This is just the latest project for Garner, who last year appeared in butt-kicking revenge flick “Peppermint,” as well as HBO comedy series “Camping.” She’s also currently reuniting with “Alias” creator J.J. Abrams for an adaptation of the memoir “My Glory Was I Had Such Friends” (renamed to the shortened “My Glory”) for Apple TV+, Apple’s forthcoming streaming service.

    No word yet on a start date for “Fantasy Camp.” Stay tuned.

    [via: Deadline]

  • 11 Favorite Dance Scenes in Rom-Coms

    11 Favorite Dance Scenes in Rom-Coms

  • 12 Things You Didn’t Know About ’13 Going on 30′ on its 15th Anniversary

    12 Things You Didn’t Know About ’13 Going on 30′ on its 15th Anniversary

    Columbia Pictures

    It’s been 15 years since “13 Going on 30” hit theaters, meaning this rom-com about an awkward teenager morphing into an adult is now old enough to be an awkward teenager itself. Celebrate this anniversary with a few fun facts you might not know about “13 Going on 30.”

    1. “13 Going On 30” isn’t the only time Christa B. Allen has played a younger version of a Jennifer Garner character. She also shared a role with Garner in 2009’s “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.”

    2. Gwyneth Paltrow, Hilary Swank and Renée Zellweger were all considered for the lead role before Jennifer Garner was cast.

    Columbia Pictures

    3. Jenna morphs into a 30-year-old woman exactly 13 minutes into the film.

    4. Both Jenna and Lucy’s wardrobes evolve as the character’s respective personalities change. That’s why Jenna wears progressively warmer colors over the course of the movie.

    Columbia Pictures

    5. On the DVD director’s commentary, Gary Winick notes that he originally clashed with the studio over their insistence on including the slumber party scene. In hindsight, Winick considers it to be one of the best scenes in the movie.

    6. Jenna’s birth date is shown to be May 26, 1974, making her about two years younger than Garner herself.

    7. The scene where Jenna first sees her adult self in the mirror was framed as an intentional homage to 1988’s “Big,” which features a similar premise.

    Columbia Pictures

    8. Choreographer Michael Peters is included in the credits despite Peters having died in 1994. That’s because Peters performed the choreography for the “Thriller” music video, which is replicated in one of the most memorable scenes in “13 Going On 30.”

    9. Future Oscar winner Brie Larson made her film debut here as one of the “Six Chicks.” Her character is the one who is replaced by Jenna in the altered yearbook photo.

    Marvel Studios

    10. The scene in which Jenna confronts Matt before his wedding features a copy of Martin Amis’ “Time’s Arrow” on a shelf. This is appropriate, as “Time’s Arrow” is about a man experiencing his life in reverse order.

    11. The train scene was filmed on the exact same train Winick previously used in 2000’s “Tadpole.”

    12. The movie’s title was changed to “Suddenly 30” in Australia, as executives feared the original title would be too confusing.

  • Jennifer Garner and J.J. Abrams Reunite for Apple Limited Series

    Jennifer Garner and J.J. Abrams Reunite for Apple Limited Series

    HBO

    Yet another star-studded project is heading to Apple’s upcoming streaming service, and it features the reunion of one of our favorite TV pairings.

    Jennifer Garner is re-teaming with her “Alias” creator, J.J. Abrams, for a new limited series for Apple. Variety reports that the project is called “My Glory Was I Had Such Friends,” based on the 2017 memoir of the same name by Amy Silverstein, and “follows a group of women who supported Silverstein as she waited for a second life-saving heart transplant.”

    Garner is set to star, and Abrams will produce through his Bad Robot banner, in conjunction with Warner Bros. Television. Karen Croner (“Admission,” “One True Thing”) is writing and producing the adaptation, and previously adapted “The Tribes of Palos Verdes,” which also starred Garner. Silverstein will also serve as a producer.

    Though the circumstances surrounding the launch of Apple’s streaming service are still up in the air, that hasn’t stopped the tech giant from acquiring some top-tier talent. Other projects in the works include a morning show drama starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell; a fantasy series featuring Jason Momoa; a Chris Evans crime drama; and new work from Damien Chazelle, M. Night Shyamalan, and the goddess of TV herself, Oprah.

    No word yet on when or how we’ll see all this content. Stay tuned.

    [via: Variety]

  • ‘Wonder Park’ Trailer Makes One Kid’s Roller Coaster Dreams Come True

    ‘Wonder Park’ Trailer Makes One Kid’s Roller Coaster Dreams Come True

    Wonder Park
    Paramount

    We’re all kids at heart in an amusement park.

    The trailer for the animated family film “Wonder Park” centers on an actual kid, a girl named June, who used to be a fearless thrill-seeker but who has seemingly grown out of her creative playtime pursuits.

    Then, she stumbles on an abandoned amusement park and uses her imagination (and the help of talking animals) to return the park to its former glory.

    The voice cast includes Jennifer Garner, Mila Kunis, John Oliver, Matthew Broderick, Ken Jeong, and Kenan Thompson.

    “Wonder Park” opens in theaters March 15, 2019.

  • Jennifer Garner Knows ‘Camping’ Viewers Won’t Necessarily Love Her Character

    Jennifer Garner Knows ‘Camping’ Viewers Won’t Necessarily Love Her Character

    David Tennant and Jennifer Garner in Camping
    Anne Marie Fox/HBO

    You can’t always expect to be liked by everyone, even when you’re playing a fictional character.

    Jennifer Garner stars in the upcoming HBO series “Camping,” and while discussing the show with USA Today, she indicated that she doesn’t expect everyone to love her character, Kathryn. That’s probably a good thing. As the publication noted, critics have described her character with a variety of unflattering adjectives, including “insufferable.”

    While the actress knows Kathryn won’t be the most lovable character on TV, she said that viewers will see why she is the way she is. Part of it has to do with the fact that she suffers from chronic pain.

    “You’ll understand her, even if you don’t love her,” Garner said.

    The series centers not just on Kathryn but her husband, Walt (David Tennant), and a group of their friends as they head out into the wilderness to celebrate Walt’s birthday. Apparently, the well-planned trip will go awry, and it will strain various relationships.

    In starring in “Camping,” Garner took on her first major TV role since her five seasons of “Alias.” The show last aired in 2006, so it’s been quite a while. HBO doesn’t seem to have a problem attracting film stars for its series, though; actors with shows on the network include Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Dwayne Johnson, and many more.

    “Camping” premieres Sunday, Oct. 14 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

    [via: USA Today]

  • Casey Affleck Says Brother Ben Is ‘Doing Great’ in Rehab

    Casey and Ben Affleck
    Roadside Attractions/Warner Bros.

    The Oscar-winning Affleck brothers are there to support each other.

    At the Toronto International Film Festival, while promoting his new movie “The Old Man and the Gun,” Casey Affleck gave an update on big bro Ben Affleck, who entered rehab on August 22.

    “He’s doing great,” the actor told Entertainment Tonight. “He’s in rehab and he’s recovering and seems to be doing well.”

    He also told E! News, “I think it is very brave of him to take care of what he has to take care of, handling his business and getting better. I look forward to him being out and back on his feet.”

    This is the “Justice League” star’s third time in rehab, reportedly at the intervention of estranged wife Jennifer Garner and a sober coach.

    Previously, he had been spotted with 22-year-old Playboy model Shauna Sexton after splitting from girlfriend Lindsay Shookus. People reported that Sexton was seen visiting the rehab center this weekend and her car has been spotted at Affleck’s home.

    Prior to entering rehab, Affleck had finished filming “Triple Frontier” with Oscar Isaac and Charlie Hunnam.