Project Almanac features "found footage" of time travel

Movie:  Project Almanac

PG-13, 2 hours

Grade: C

In a Nutshell:   The movie uses “found footage” as its film style, which can be slightly annoying.   The camera work is so shaky that it’s more irritating than clever.  Its dizzying effect reminds me of the movie Cloverfield .

The story features a high school senior who gets accepted into M.I.T. and discovers a time travel machine in his father’s basement.   Pre-Teens will get a kick out of the flick, especially if they have never seen Back to the Future or Chronicle , which do it better.  You might wish time travel were real so you could get your money back for your high-priced theater ticket, but the movie is perfect to play at a sleepover when kids are only half-watching it.

Uplifting Theme:

·         If you could travel back in time, what would you do with that power?
*    During a concert, attendees can write with chalk on big boards to answer the question: "Before the world ends..."   What would YOU write?

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Things I liked:

·         When I was in college, I dated a guy who attended MIT.  It was fascinating to watch the games he and his genius frat brothers played in their spare time.

·         I thought it was funny that the characters mentioned the movies Timecop , The Terminator ,  Looper , and the entire Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) [Blu-ray] movies while discussing time travel.
The cast is young, energetic, and fairly charismatic.

Things I didn’t like:

·         Everyone talks on top of everyone, which often makes it difficult to hear what they’re saying.

·         The CGI is decent, but not the best I’ve ever seen.

·         The science is a bit shaky, just like the camera work.

Funny lines:

·        “I didn’t have time to study.  I’ve been building a time-machine.” – David Raskin (Jonny Weston)

·         Full disclosure, guys.  There’s a slight chance that oxygen and nitrogen naturally found in the air could catalize." - David

“What does that mean?” – Quinn Goldger (Sam Lerner)

“We might explode.” – David

·         “You guys, we invented friggen time travel.  We should sell this thing to Richard Branson for like a zillion dollars.” - Adam Le (Allen Evangelista)

·         “It’s like a second chance machine.” – Adam

·         “I’m going to hire Kim Kardashian to have my baby.” – Quinn

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Tips for Parents:

·         Some teenage trash talk, profanity, and pre-marital sex.

·         Lots of teenager girls in skimpy outfits with some sexual innuendo.