At this point I think it's safe to say that found footage films are the cinematic equivalent to a cockroach. What seemed destined to be no more than a flash in the pan has survived in heavy rotation for 16 years now (since 1999's The Blair Witch Project). If we want to get technical it goes back even further to film's like Cannibal Holocaust in 1980, but it didn't really catch on until 1999 so we'll go with that date. Surprisingly it took 13 years for the genre, or gimmick if you'd rather, to escape the horror genre with 2012's surprise hit Chronicle. Now, hopefully it doesn't branch out to romantic comedies but I don't think it's hard to see the appeal of a realistic looking sci-fi film. That is exactly what we have here with the teenage time-travel adventure Project Almanac. The film, which in a number of ways is like a modern day The Goonies as far as the group dynamic and adventure taking goes, follows David, his little sister Christina, and friends Adam and Quinn. Upon discovering an old tape of David's birthday party as a kid they are all surprised to find modern day David appear in the background. As it turns out David has, or rather had, a genius dad who, before he died, was working on a temporal displacement (fancy term for time travel) machine in his lab. A lab that was hidden through a trap door in the basement of the house. After setting out some ground rules like no going back more than three weeks the crew sets off to do what any teenage group would do with such a technology, improve their social standing in high school. David, who needs to find a way to pay his tuition to M.I.T. has a bit more of a valid reason to destroy the space time continuum but, let's be honest with ourselves...if you were a teenage boy who just discovered time travel wouldn't you at least look into the possibility of getting with the hottest girl in school, or finding someway to correct one of those minor mistakes that, at the time, seem life ending in high school?
Ok, before I even start reviewing let's make sure we're on the same page concerning some obvious problems. None of us are expecting a January released found-footage movie about time travel to be airtight as far as plot holes and plausibility go, right? Ok, good that's what I thought...so no need to address those. I mean, Jesus, The Terminator had more holes than a pound of swiss and that was big budget so we'll give a pass on that, it's not like they just through it to the wind, they did try to keep some semblance of cohesion as far as the timeline goes. No, Project Almanac is not the surprisingly awesome time that it's oft-compared comrade Chronicle was, but for about 80% of the movie it is a good time. Mostly due to the likability of the cast, who could have easily made this film un-watchable. I don't think enough credit is given to films like this when they cast a group of unknown, untested, young actors and manage to get a group that not only has chemistry but engages the audiences. The plot is basically teenage wish fulfillment at its finest, or at least at the finest that they can show in a PG-13 film, for instance the very first order of business is winning the lottery. It's fun. Not deep, not groundbreaking, not life changing, just fun.
Aside from the last 20 minutes or so of the film Project Almanac provides a standard January release good time. Probably best left to a rental for most, if you have your heart set on seeing some light fun at the theater I don't see you being disappointed in choosing Almanac as your film of choice. If I'm going to be rough on the movie and really point out some problems it's the lack of fleshing out what could have been an amazing concept. Yes we've seen time travel a million times before, but that's usually in a Back to the Future diluted view of how teenagers would really act given the power. Personally I'd like to see a hard R rated version of this film where the writers really sit down and give it there all, something real, something wild, something that display's the truth of what the majority of teens would do with the ability to go back in time. Another film for another time I suppose but, as much as I've said that this flick is good light enjoyment, it does piss you off that they wasted the oppertunity to do something real for the chance to make a quick cheap buck in the slowest month of the year. To the writers, should you find a trap door in your parents house, go back and really write the crap out of this movie, give us what we've always wanted to see!
3 out of 5 Guttenbergs
