The comedy in Project Almanac is genuinely funny, and perfectly reflects what would happen if you gave a bunch of nerdy teenagers a time machine. Cheat at school, go to parties, draw on your past self with a sharpie while they sleep... It’s a whole bunch of fun wish fulfillment. Where the movie mainly falls flat is the drama.
Time Ripple Effects set off by the protagonists only ever lead to catastrophic consequences. Never do we see a positive outcome that wasn’t intended, not even as a punch line.That isn’t to say that morals about the consequences of actions are bad, as they could be used particularly effectively with a cast of teenagers. What really makes the whole dramatic plot line pointless is that in the end there is no lesson to be learned: everything is reset to square one, and despite the camera having Ripple Effect-Proof Memory, the protagonists do not.
The movie contains other flaws as well. Despite being a bunch of nerds who discovered frickin’ time travel, characters often fail to think non-linearly. Common sense is ignored to accelerate the plot, which is mainly consumed by them getting the time machine to work in the first place. The amount of male gaze directing the camera is annoying and inexcusable as it is mainly operated by the main character’s sister. And like many found footage films, it has no real need to be a found footage film.
Overall there are simply better films that fit the genre out there, while supplying the comedy, drama or romance viewers may crave from Project Almanac.
Funny, but lacking.
The comedy in Project Almanac is genuinely funny, and perfectly reflects what would happen if you gave a bunch of nerdy teenagers a time machine. Cheat at school, go to parties, draw on your past self with a sharpie while they sleep... It’s a whole bunch of fun wish fulfillment. Where the movie mainly falls flat is the drama.
Time Ripple Effects set off by the protagonists only ever lead to catastrophic consequences. Never do we see a positive outcome that wasn’t intended, not even as a punch line.That isn’t to say that morals about the consequences of actions are bad, as they could be used particularly effectively with a cast of teenagers. What really makes the whole dramatic plot line pointless is that in the end there is no lesson to be learned: everything is reset to square one, and despite the camera having Ripple Effect-Proof Memory, the protagonists do not.
The movie contains other flaws as well. Despite being a bunch of nerds who discovered frickin’ time travel, characters often fail to think non-linearly. Common sense is ignored to accelerate the plot, which is mainly consumed by them getting the time machine to work in the first place. The amount of male gaze directing the camera is annoying and inexcusable as it is mainly operated by the main character’s sister. And like many found footage films, it has no real need to be a found footage film.
Overall there are simply better films that fit the genre out there, while supplying the comedy, drama or romance viewers may crave from Project Almanac.