MOVIE REVIEW: Superb 'Chronicle' let down by special effects
There has been no shortage of films featuring super-powered characters recently, and the same can be said for films told through a “found footage”-style that has the audience looking through a handheld camera.
It seems kind of crazy that “Chronicle” falls into both of those categories but is still able to give audiences a viewing experience with originality and depth, despite coming in at less than 90 minutes.
Much of the movie’s quality rests on the shoulders of Dane DeHaan, who plays the troubled main character and camera operator Andrew Detmer. The early story deals with Andrew’s turbulent situation at home, as well as his introverted social life in high school.
DeHaan gives a convincing performance as a teenager with a tormented soul who is still good at heart. He does a good job of creating a connection between his character and the audience.
Matt Garetty, played by Alex Russell and Steve Montgomery, played by Michael B. Jordan, are the other two main characters of the story. Their performances are good as well. The three main characters have excellent chemistry when they’re together, which lends more impact to the dramatic confrontations of the film. Their chemistry also helps the humor in the film seem more realistic and genuine.
After leaving a party, the three of them find a mysterious object underground in the middle of the woods. After coming close to it, the object knocks them out while also bestowing them with telekinetic superpowers.
From that point on, “Chronicle” focuses on how Andrew, Matt and Steve deal with their new-found abilities.
They aren’t concerned with fighting crime or carrying out revenge on past enemies like many superheroes in film. Instead, they just screw around, playing pranks on one another and on other people. It’s a unique, fun twist on the traditional training portion of a superhero movie, though events turn more serious later in the film.
The weakest portion of “Chronicle” is easily the special effects.
Every once in a while they will look decent, but most of the time they range from painfully hokey to outright awful. This is especially true when the characters fly, which is cool in concept, but terrible in execution. It wouldn’t be much of a problem if there weren’t so many scenes that required special effects, especially in the last 20 minutes.
Overall, “Chronicle” is an extremely pleasant surprise that is significantly held back by an abundance of terrible special effects.
Genre: Science-Fiction, Drama Rated: PG-13 Score: 3 out of 5
