It's true, you can never have too many time travel movies to escape with, right? The possibilities seem limitless when filmmakers consider the strange dynamics of different dimensions, allowing audiences to get lost in a sense of wonder and science fiction excitement. So, does first-time director Dan Israelite bring something new to this well-worn genre with the teen time travel film ‘Project Almanac’? Well, let's just say that films considered much better like ‘Looper’ or even this year’s ‘Predestination’ don’t have to worry about being replaced by Israelite’s lightweight found footage fantasy. In fact, ‘Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure’ seems more inspired and worthwhile in comparison. ‘Project Almanac’ feels relentlessly shaky and as exciting as a high school science project during summer vacation, failing to really connect with its uneven presentation of unsteady camerawork and a group of typical smart kids on an oddball adventure. Israelite and the screenwriters, Jason Harry Pagan and Andrew Deutschman, create a simple, escapist film where the playful scientific elements feel somewhat upbeat, and the young cast seems engaged in the time-traveling story unfolding around them. However, any momentum ‘Project Almanac’ manages to build is undermined by distracting shaky camera movements and abrupt cuts that turn this science fiction adventure into a disjointed B-movie experience. The found footage element feels overdone and exhausting; when used sparingly, it can be a nice touch to build tension. Unfortunately, many films today—especially in horror and sci-fi—rely on these techniques too much. It’s not surprising that the jittery visuals of ‘Project Almanac’ come from producer Michael Bay, who is known for his over-the-top action filmmaking. David Raskin (Jonny Weston), a brilliant high school science student, wants to attend MIT and needs an impressive project to showcase his abilities. His family's finances are tight, and he hopes a scholarship will help ease the financial burden on his widowed mother (David’s scientific father recently passed away). Like his father before him, David is naturally gifted in science. His late father left behind some encouragement for him to pursue his MIT dreams. David discovers an unfinished experiment of his dad's—a machine capable of sending people through time. He shares this discovery with his group of nerdy friends and his younger sister Christina (Ginny Gardner), who films the strange device as it takes them on a back-and-forth journey where they can revisit moments, from dealing with school bullies to taking chemistry tests. Interestingly, ‘Project Almanac’ never explores its time travel concept in a significant way. Instead, the film gets bogged down in trivial matters like petty academic schemes and doesn't really tackle larger conflicts that one would expect young, impressionable geniuses to face while navigating difficult situations that classroom learning can't solve. The discovery of his father’s time machine should have brought them together briefly, an ironic moment that could have been both touching and meaningful. The kids cheating by finding out lottery numbers and retaking tests feels like a predictable cautionary tale. Sadly, ‘Project Almanac’ devolves into teen soap opera territory, losing the minimal science fiction flavor it had for a nonsensical diversion filled with shaky camera work and a lack of excitement beyond minor problems. Weston's David Raskin had the potential to be as iconic as ‘Back To The Future’s Marty McFly, but the weak plot and uninspired events hold him back from reaching that level. Project Almanac (2015) Paramount Pictures 1 hr. 46 mins. Starring: Jonny Weston, Allen Evangelista, Sam Lerner, Ginny Gardner and Sofia Black-D’Elia Directed by: Dean Israelite Rated: PG-13 Genre: Science Fiction/Teen Time Travel Adventurer/Sci-Fi and Fantasy Critic’s rating: ** stars (out of four stars)

Source on TMDB