Review of Project Almanac (2015) by Orlando O — 20 Jun 2015

Project Almanac has a fun interesting premise on time travel and the ripple effects it can have when changing the past. The found footage science fiction film has plot holes and a ridiculous plot that is hard to believe that a group of teenagers build a time traveling device they find in the basement. The movie itself is pretty fun, and a decent found footage thriller. I am not one for found footage films; horror movies over use the premise, and some other genres like this one manages to follow that direction. Project Almanac is a little dumb version of 2012 Chronicle film.

David (Jonny Weston) gets accepted into MIT, but is unable to afford the finances for the program. His sister Christina (Virginia Gardner) finds an old video camera with footage of Davids 7th Birthday party and they discover a brief image appearance of the older version of David on there. David goes into their basement and discovers a mysterious device that is able to make them travel through time. He and his friends decide to make it work and travel in the past to make a better future for them.

Project Almanac has that fun premise on what if you can travel to the past and fix any mistakes or make a better future for yourself. It was fun seeing the characters trying to alternate their future by passing a quiz in classes, facing off against their bully, fixing the lottery ticket numbers, or trying to take the right action on falling in love with their crush. All the actions do have a consequence that will affect the future. Especially, when David is coming across a tough decision of alternating his future for love worth affecting everyone else's lives with tragic events.

Project Almanac does have a ridiculous plot, and holes. David has been living in the house since he was a child and finally goes to the basement and discovers his long lost fathers stuff that he invented and finds the time traveling device. Then, David and his ignorant friends try to rebuild the device to make it work which is unbelievable in every way. It is not one of those plot devices that can be taken seriously, just have to enjoy the movie for what it is.

Project Almanac is not a terrible found footage thriller, it is a fun movie but also forgettable.