A Frank Review of "Chronicle" (2012)

The Short Version? Parahuman Activity.
What Is It? Found Footage Superhero Drama.
Who Is In It? Nobody you know.
Should I See It? Probably.



The Smallville Witch Project? Akirafield? I've got a million of 'em. Thankfully, Chronicle is closer in quality to 2007's [REC] than the E.coli stream of projectile poop in a landfill that are most "found footage" pseudo-documentary genre flicks. It's still by-the-numbers, but does a good job with the consistency and placement of the paint. Give three teenage boys telekinesis. One's socially maladjusted. One's a good-natured goof. One's a popular kid. The first two are white, and the last is black. Quick: who's not going to make it to the end of this movie, who'll be fucking up downtown Tokyo, and who'll be shouting "TETSUO?" That said, the film plays in some darker areas than most super-hero fare, and is vastly more competent with its filming conceit than most of its kind. The acting is decent, the character types are set up well, and it's fun seeing them work through their predictable arcs. There's a few laughs, and some sweet destruction in the last act, even if the ending is rather cheesy. For the budget, it's a good looking adventure story, well paced, and a solid diversion.