Chronicle Movie Review

E value: 6.5/10
Acting : 7.5/10 (Dane DeHaan), 7/10(Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan), 6.5(other cast)
Plot : 7/10

Film opens up with a wimpy teenage boy, Andrew (Dane DeHaan) who grows up in years of suffer under constant abuses by his father and he is also a full-time caretaker of his mother who is sick. Andrew's dreadful life doesn't end up at home only but at school, he often being picked up as the target to the school-bullies.

The outcast has no friend at all but Matt (Alex Russell) who is the only one treats him well among other schoolmates. Matt is also Andrew's cousin. One night, Matt takes along Andrew to a party in order to cheer him up. However, Andrew turns up being beaten for video-taping his schoolmates. Another guy, Steve(Michael B. Jordan) diffuses the situation and saves Andrew. After finding Andrew with a video-cam, Steve eventually asks for Andrew's favor to video-tape a bizarre sighting in the woods. Andrew agrees and tags along with Steve. When they reach the spot, Andrew finds his cousin, Matt is there too. There is one big hole in the middle of the woods, and the trio just hops in. They stumble upon some extraterrestrial kind of illumination objects inside the hole. Sooner after the discovery, the trio somehow begins to develop some supernatural telekinetic power and also their ability to fly....

Wait, if you think while the rest you can figure out? Heroes save the day? Aliens' invasion? you're wrong. Chronicle isn't a stereotype superman movies which typically knock your doorway, not at all.

These teenagers embrace their whole new life changes after gaining the supernatural powers, including playing pranks. But soon, things turn hag-wires when Andrew becomes obsessive and feels superior with his power. His abusive father infuriates him one day in return he uses his power to get rid of his father. Not only that, he destroys anyone who gets on his way including his cousin, Matt. At this point, I think the writer has done a good job on delivering the message through the spin-off plot. Whatever happens to Andrew who initially one wimpy teen who turns rogue later, is some kind of manifestation of his suppression of wrath resulted from all those years being mistreated by his abusive father and schoolmates. It reflects the fact that humans’ nature in reality that develop certain collective anger from the inside. However, not many of us are fully aware sometimes, but when we do, it might be too late.

Nevertheless, there is one scene which I guess a little bit glossed-over. The sudden case of scene flipped from the discovery of the extraterrestrial substances in the hole to the trio checking out their newly gained supernatural powers. I think that there is a missing page here, the boys should pass out or something?

The casting director did a good job as the chemistry of friendship between Andrew, Matt and Steve is very palpable. But the show-stealer, I gotta say goes to Dane DeHaan, the one who played Andrew. To be frank, the face of this so called wimpy teenage boy almost resembles the young Leonardo Di Caprio (well, that makes him one cute boy by technically) However, he did pull off portraying different sides of characters, from a wimpy teenager who turns Class A violent sociopath.

But there is one spoiler’s alert for those who are particular about visual effects. Don’t expect the quality of visual effects in Chronicle to be measured up like Marvel’s films (eg: Captain America, Avengers others you named it) Regardless of that, the quality is still within acceptable limit except the backdrop props the final scene where Matt were standing looks a bit fake.

Chronicle in the nutshell – is one of the good examples of Class B budgeted movies with great values without trying hard and pretentious to be what it isn’t meant to be….