Chronicle is Available on Blu-ray/DVD May 15th. Amazon link Here
Let’s get out our Hollywood chemistry sets and discuss the new action fantasy “Chronicle”. The flick is more mixture than substance with a little “X-Men: First Class” mashed with “Paranormal Activity” and a touch of “Akira” to help wash down the third act. While “Chronicle” is entertaining enough the film is all re-mix which means the young audience at which it’s aimed will probably love it.
This revisionist vision of the superhero tale takes place in Seattle, WA. where three unsuspecting teenagers stumble upon “something” that instantly gives them super powers.
I will keep this “something” a mystery for 2 reasons:
1) It is never explained, making it easy to stay mum about it.
2) It is one of the few things that remain to be revealed thanks to the overbearing trailer. We will call it the “T.M.I Trailer disease”. The two minute clip that has been circulating around on Facebook and MTV gives away many of the film’s bright moments, making the actual viewing experience feel like déjà vu.
So now these kids can smash things with their minds and are impervious to forks to the hand or baseballs to the face. Best yet, they can fly!!
Unfortunately, one of the boys has some issues. His name is Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan) and he has plenty of reasons to be mad at the world. His father beats on him and his mother is slowly dying of cancer in the room next to his. To deal with the pain of life, Andrew starts videotaping EVERYTHING. Lucky for us, because this is how the entire thing gets chronicled.
While the other two kids, Matt (Alex Russell) and Steve (Michael B. Jordan), embrace the new powers with a sense of wonder and delight, Andrew starts to utilize the negative aspects. Tension builds to a power showdown filled with flipping cars and burning buildings.
The “found tape” genre can be an effective way to tell a story. In films like “Cloverfield” and the “Paranormal Activity” series, a fresh sort of realism is achieved. One of problems with “Chronicle” is that the movie struggles with reasons to have a camera going at all times to capture the moment. “Paranormal” had it easy, keeping the action in one house. “Cloverfield” made sense because it was one guy running from a beast down the streets of Manhattan. Here, the action goes all over the place and it is a problem that director Josh Trank never quite figures out. It can be argued that there is a mild statement here that the new generation is always recording and documenting (the three kids always seem to be texting) but the reasoning gets very weak by the film’s climax.
But, ultimately, the film is worth a look. It is interesting to wonder what it would be like to have superpowers and “Chronicle” succeeds in putting you in Andrew’s shoes. There is a great sequence with the guys speeding around in the clouds that is a knockout. If only they had found away to abandon the “found footage” gimmick… that would have made for a much better movie.
Blu-ray Special Features:
Includes 2 Versions: Theatrical & Director’s Cut
Deleted Scene – Matt and Casey in the Kitchen
Pre-Viz
Camera Test
Theatrical Trailer
Chronicle Soundtrack Info