Dean Israelite

(Netflix Streaming, August 2018) Given that I have no prior history of watching Power Rangers as a kid, I was expecting the worst from its big-screen movie adaptation. While the result isn’t awe-inspiring, I was surprised at how enjoyable much of it could be. The film’s first half, for instance, is a serviceable YA science-fiction film, as four mismatched teenagers discover a hidden alien spaceship and learn to control their new superpowers. It’s executed with a certain attention to realism and the dialogue isn’t too bad: There are clear links here between this film and director Dean Israelite’s previous Project Almanac. Plus—and this is important—it doesn’t immediately go for the in-jokes and dumbest characteristics of the original TV show. There is also a sense of achievement in the way the characters learn to control their superpowers—it’s not an automatic thing, and they still make mistakes along the way. It helps that the actors are a sympathetic bunch—there are clichés here, but they’re likable clichés. Things get less interesting in the final act, as we move to an action climax that leans hard on the TV show conventions what just look dumb to first-time viewers. While the final battle nearly levels the downtown area of a small city, it also relies on elements that fans remember from the series and aren’t quite as believable as the rest of the film. There are, of course, sequel hooks—whether they will be followed is up to financial results. Let’s just say that I would not be completely opposed to the idea if they can keep much of what made the first half of the film so interesting.

(Netflix Streaming, May 2016) Seen from a comfortably middle-aged perspective, there’s something almost endearing in science-fiction movies that plays with familiar genre tropes from a very specific demographic perspective. So it is that when the teenage protagonists of Project Almanac discover time-travel, they rush to use it for … passing exams, seeking love, winning the lottery and attending Lollapalooza. Go, teenagers, go. Of course, things get complicated very quickly in the film’s haphazard sense of causality—they can always go back to fix mistakes, but the rules for doing so seem to change depending on the whims of the script. The main message, predictably, remains the bad old “don’t mess with the timeline” shtick. There is a lot to dislike in Project Almanac for those who are north of thirty: Director Dean Israelite’s found-footage angle is exasperating, the focus on teenage obsessions can be twee and there’s a lot of noise both literal, visual and figurative in the film. Still… I didn’t have a bad time watching it. It has a bit of energy, some self-awareness and a few clever moments when the camera settles down. As a playful take on a familiar SF device, it earns some fair attention. It’s not necessarily for everyone, but at a time when SF devices can always benefit from being introduced to younger audiences, Project Almanac is a bit better than you’d expect. Consider watching it on your mobile device to minimize the shaky-cam cinematography.