Film Review: Found-Footage Fanboy Film ‘Chronicle’ is Aimlessly Lost

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CHICAGO – “Chronicle,” which stars blah, blah and blah with a special appearance by blah (you wouldn’t know these unknowns any way), is the latest found-footage film to find itself lost, lacking purpose and devoid of a cohesive plot. This film’s fanboy ejaculate loves you short time as it spews the buildup of what could be interpreted as a “story” and ultimately ends without one.

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 2.0/5.0
Rating: 2.0/5.0

We can forgivingly leave to moviemaking mystery how a few kids develop superhero telekinesis from a weakly scripted, inexplicable, underground rock formation from which our story never returns to explore. But we cannot excuse a story that lacks a true protagonist, antagonist and an overall plot in exchange for three kids simply running around aimlessly and experimenting with their newfound power.

Even if you enjoy this special-effects joyride with a cast of new actors you won’t know, you’ll be hard pressed to think back lovingly about this film without questioning the point of it all. Dane DeHaan as Andrew Detmer, I suppose, emerges as the antagonist among three friends as he illogically climaxes the film by embracing a silly, messy and poorly inked dark side.

StarRead Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Chronicle”.

All the while, Alex Russell as Matt Garetty tries to stop Andrew’s bout of pointless rage and tie up the film’s loose ends by, you know, “using his power for good”. Michael B. Jordan as Steve Montgomery, who doesn’t play basketball and didn’t even talk to Andrew before he was joined with him through shared telekinesis, is the third-wheel friend. Steve’s role is to bring consequence and reality to the cloud nine these boys briefly float on – by dying the tragic death.

“Chronicle” is the latest found-footage, shaky-camera fad film in a string of many prior to it including the wildly successful and profitable “Paranormal Activity” films (now four of them in total), 2010’s “The Last Exorcism,” 2008’s “Cloverfield” and 1999’s “The Blair Witch Project”. While this one’s more of an homage to the superhero fanboy, much of its footage comes from the character’s shaky cameras rather than the filmmaker himself.

“Chronicle” stars Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly, Ashley Hinshaw, Bo Petersen, Anna Wood, Rudi Malcolm, Luke Tyler, Crystal-Donna Roberts, Adrian Collins, Grant Powell, Armand Aucamp, Nicole Bailey and Lynita Crofford from director Josh Trank and writer Max Landis. The film is rated “PG-13” for intense action and violence, thematic material, some language, sexual content and teen drinking. “Chronicle,” which has a running time of 83 minutes, opened on Feb. 3, 2012.

StarContinue for Adam Fendelman’s full “Chronicle” review.

Alex Russell in Chronicle
During a fierce battle above the streets of Seattle, the telekinetically gifted Matt (Alex Russell)
has a close encounter with an airborne bus.
Image credit: CGFactory, 20th Century Fox

StarContinue for Adam Fendelman’s full “Chronicle” review.

AnthonyP654's picture

Thankfully this horribly

Thankfully this horribly written & pretentious article is one of the few negative reviews this film has received. Oh no! A movie doesn’t have big stars?! It must be bad! No movie has ever been good without paying their actors millions of dollars!

Please, I beg of you. Stop trying to write. You’re only embarrassing yourself. Your website is almost as appallingly unattractive as your own being.

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