Thumbs Up For “Chronicle”; But Don’t Throw Baseballs Without Psychokinetic Powers

February 16 17:37 2012 by Alexei Rivera Print This Article

Its been a while since we last saw anything about a movie called “Chronicle” – about a few months at least. Back in October, we put up the trailer and the teaser text from 20th Century Fox on Viral.PH about a movie centered around three high-school guys who happen to have chanced upon some rather psychokinetic or mystical powers. Back then, the release mentioned that the movie would open in March 2012 so we weren’t expecting it to be out in theatres so soon. However, Chronicle is definitely showing now and we think it’s a pretty good movie to catch – unless you’re specifically looking for a dark horror movie or something along the lines of a paranormal thing.

He can make a pretty hefty commission on garbage disposal there…

“Chronicle” is shot in the “found footage” format, a style of movie wherein the show is seen from video recordings of cameras and other devices in the story – lending it a more realistic and gritty feel. Much of the movie revolves around the dynamics between the three main characters – the filmographer Andrew (Dane DeHaan); his cousin Matt (Alex Russell); and their new best-friend-by-chance Class Presidentiable Steve (Michael B. Jordan). The film is based around the personal video recordings (and some added from other devices) of our typical social-outcast Andrew, who begins a new hobby of recording his life. After Matt brings him to a party where he finds himself outcast, Steve calls him out to a field to get something unusual on film. Long story short, the camera breaks but the three high-school guys pick up some unusual psychokinetic powers.

We find the three a bit later, new camera in hand, building up their newly learned skills – and herein lies the conflict. Andrew, due to immense social and domestic pressures, begins to show less compassion for people around him – even including Matt and Steve. The question then surfaces: Can these three high school guys, a social misfit among them, be able to control and maintain secrecy – not to mention the legality of their newfound powers? And if not, what happens to these guys? Well, that’s for you to check out at your nearest local theater.

What Chronicle ends up to be is a great, if predictable enough, sci-fi (if you can call it that) movie in 84 minutes. It doesn’t end up explaining what caused the characters’ powers to begin with, but ultimately doesn’t need to. There were some genuine moments of enjoyment during the early parts of the show, and the awkward nature of the camera and Andrew’s social-inabilities are well delivered. The CG effects were pretty well made and lend itself to the style of the cinematography. Near the climax it starts to get kinda patchy and over-the-top, but you could have gleaned that much from the trailers. Either way, it’s a fresh take on that Spiderman mantra of, “With great blah blah blah, blah blah blah.” Sorry, its just too cliché to write. Final thought: go watch it.

Check out the new trailer here below for more teasering-ing!