"...It's not just a list of bullshit we've done in the past. It's a chronicling of our rise... to power."
-Thomas Jacob Black
So, the new "Superhero-movie-but-we're-not-calling-it-a-superhero-movie" (like how 28 Days Later was a "Zombie-movie-but-we're-not-calling-it-a-zombie-movie") Chronicle has just been released. Well, it was released a few weeks ago, but I didn't see it until today, so whatever.
The Plot:
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Don't worry, though; it's a lot better than it sounds. The movie follows the story of three high schoolers who discover a meteorite outside of a party which (because we wouldn't have a plot if it wasn't somehow magical) gives them telekinetic powers. With come power comes great tomfoolery as they use their new found superpowers to fool around.
However, as their powers grow stronger and stronger, the lonely, unstable outcast of the group gets pushed further and further to the edge. As the trailer basically spoils, it only gets worse from there.
The Good:
Like I said, it's hard to give the movie credit through a short synopsis alone. It takes a plot that could be trite and played out in less capable hands and breathes new life into it. You may figure out what's coming, but the journey there is well worth it. The main characters are interesting and likable (if a bit dumb at times), and the movie hits all the notes it aims for (fun, tragic, etc.).
Hell, the whole "Cloverfield/Blair Witch" shaky cam thing actually works here; the presence of the camera is significant to the plot, and the it's never nauseating or distracting (as it was in Cloverfield). The filmmakers also get pretty inventive with it towards the end, using a variety of different cameras to great effect in the final confrontation.
The movie was relatively low budgeted, and it's kind of evident throughout the movie (And I'm sure that the use of the shaky cam was motivated, in part, to keep the movie cheap to produce). Still, it doesn't hold the film back; it's a testament to the skill behind it that so much was made from so little.
All of that being said, the film isn't perfect...
The Bad:
As with a lot of "Bullied Teen" fiction, the cruelty of the bullies comes across as a little over exaggerated; they are less characters and more plot devices. The actors (while on the whole very good) slip up from here and there; in the final scenes, the hamminess that sneaks in can be a bit distracting. The cameras (though not to the same extent as Cloverfield) seem to survive a bit too much abuse at times. Also, the movie ends with a sort of sequel hook, and while I really liked it, I feel that the movie is best left as a standalone piece (that's entirely subjective, though, and I would love to be proven wrong should a sequel come out).
The biggest problem, I think, is that the movie seems a bit inconsistent with its aim. It clearly is aiming to be a realistic deconstruction of superhero (particularly Marvel) stories. After all, if you give some kids incredible superpowers, they won't suddenly become superheroes; they'll just be superpowered kids. At the same time, though, nobody in the entire movie mentions the idea of superheroes at all. Now, leaving that out isn't an inherent problem (Like with zombie movies. If everyone recognized zombies for what they were immediately, the plot could be solved in 5 minutes), if you are aiming for "realism", it's a glaring omission.
Conclusion:
While the movie has its problems and imperfections, they don't hold it back. Chronicle is, on the whole, pretty great. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out. At the very least, it'll be a good warm up for May...
-Thomas Jacob Black
So, the new "Superhero-movie-but-we're-not-calling-it-a-superhero-movie" (like how 28 Days Later was a "Zombie-movie-but-we're-not-calling-it-a-zombie-movie") Chronicle has just been released. Well, it was released a few weeks ago, but I didn't see it until today, so whatever.
The Plot:
Don't worry, though; it's a lot better than it sounds. The movie follows the story of three high schoolers who discover a meteorite outside of a party which (because we wouldn't have a plot if it wasn't somehow magical) gives them telekinetic powers. With come power comes great tomfoolery as they use their new found superpowers to fool around.
However, as their powers grow stronger and stronger, the lonely, unstable outcast of the group gets pushed further and further to the edge. As the trailer basically spoils, it only gets worse from there.
The Good:
Like I said, it's hard to give the movie credit through a short synopsis alone. It takes a plot that could be trite and played out in less capable hands and breathes new life into it. You may figure out what's coming, but the journey there is well worth it. The main characters are interesting and likable (if a bit dumb at times), and the movie hits all the notes it aims for (fun, tragic, etc.).
Hell, the whole "Cloverfield/Blair Witch" shaky cam thing actually works here; the presence of the camera is significant to the plot, and the it's never nauseating or distracting (as it was in Cloverfield). The filmmakers also get pretty inventive with it towards the end, using a variety of different cameras to great effect in the final confrontation.
The movie was relatively low budgeted, and it's kind of evident throughout the movie (And I'm sure that the use of the shaky cam was motivated, in part, to keep the movie cheap to produce). Still, it doesn't hold the film back; it's a testament to the skill behind it that so much was made from so little.
All of that being said, the film isn't perfect...
The Bad:
As with a lot of "Bullied Teen" fiction, the cruelty of the bullies comes across as a little over exaggerated; they are less characters and more plot devices. The actors (while on the whole very good) slip up from here and there; in the final scenes, the hamminess that sneaks in can be a bit distracting. The cameras (though not to the same extent as Cloverfield) seem to survive a bit too much abuse at times. Also, the movie ends with a sort of sequel hook, and while I really liked it, I feel that the movie is best left as a standalone piece (that's entirely subjective, though, and I would love to be proven wrong should a sequel come out).
The biggest problem, I think, is that the movie seems a bit inconsistent with its aim. It clearly is aiming to be a realistic deconstruction of superhero (particularly Marvel) stories. After all, if you give some kids incredible superpowers, they won't suddenly become superheroes; they'll just be superpowered kids. At the same time, though, nobody in the entire movie mentions the idea of superheroes at all. Now, leaving that out isn't an inherent problem (Like with zombie movies. If everyone recognized zombies for what they were immediately, the plot could be solved in 5 minutes), if you are aiming for "realism", it's a glaring omission.
Conclusion:
While the movie has its problems and imperfections, they don't hold it back. Chronicle is, on the whole, pretty great. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out. At the very least, it'll be a good warm up for May...
