Cert 12A
106 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, moderate sex references
I know I am like a broken record in pleading for this fad of found footage films to end but I am getting desperate.
In the 16 years since The Blair Witch Project, directors such as Dean Israelite have tried to emulate its scares and sexiness.
None have equalled it and very few have come remotely close. The central problems are believability and continuity.
Project Almanac is another glaring example of a movie-maker trying to persuade the audience that its subjects would continue filming in life-or-death situations.
I would venture that only a professional cameraman would.
The found footage issue isn't the only bugbear in Project Almanac which is a thriller based around time travel.
A group of science geeks, led by Jonny Weston, create a time machine after they see a video of seven-year-old Jonny which has his present day self in the background.
For much of the film, dipping into the past brings great joy, largely because the geeks stick to a list of mutually agreed rules.
But then one of their number breaks the rules and the world begins to change.
The biggest disappointment of Project Almanac is that its trailers looked so promising but, in reality, it is cliched with lingering shots over the legs and breasts of young women supposedly complementing the alleged thrills and spills of the time machine shenanigans.
In addition, its acting is dismally stiff
Project Almanac's parting shot invites a potential sequel. I really hope that doesn't happen.
Jonny Weston: "There is definitely an element of psychological thriller to this movie - it is fun and then moves into an inter-personal story that is pretty intense."
Reasons to watch: if you are a teenager who has never seen found footage before
Reasons to avoid: plot holes and headache-inducing jumpy camera work.
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 3/10