Michael Bay lends his name and awful sensibilities to Project Almanac, a flat and drawn-out high school drama with added time travel. Science student Jonny (David Raskin) discovers blue prints for a time travel machine, which he builds and takes advantage of with his friends. But when things turn sour, David must try to fix the route of the problem himself, risking his and his friends’ lives in the process. Less about time travel and more about the trivial issues of puberty, Project Almanac snuffs out a half-decent premise early on, only for a lot of rambling build-up and not much payoff. The script cashes in on product placement and hip namedropping in lieu of a proper narrative, pulse or heart. Shaky-cam is used to near blinding effect by director Dean Israelite, and the characters are mere mannequins, particularly the girls, who are more objects of affection than human beings. Project Almanac is, then, a bland film about bland teenagers doing bland things, and very little else.
Empty Screens 