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The Angels Alibi: Chronicle

        

***Warning: There are spoilers here so read at your own risk.****

I missed this one in theaters because I still reeled from the let down that was Cloverfield, I felt a certain stigma from shaky cam found footage films and Chronicle just wasn’t on my list of movies to watch. Honestly there was a point where I wanted to physically go to the theater just to see it because of all of the great reviews I saw it was receiving but I was still skittish. Cloverfield  left me a nervous wreck about these types of films and I admit I should have known better, but alas I didn’t. Off from work today I decided to see what was available on demand, and there it was starring me in the face. I decided it was time to suck it up and give it a go. I did love writer, Max Landis’s humor in his Death and Return of Superman video that went viral a while back, and I had a feeling that if anyone could do a regular joe turned superhero movie it might just be him. I am so glad that I was right. 

Chronicle centers around three teenage boys, loner Andrew, his stoner cousin Matt and resident popular kid Steve. The three become friends after they go spelunking during a rave and bump into a shiny rock that gives them some super powers. At first the guys do imprudent things such as playing with legos, scaring random people and moving cars from parking spots. Things start to get serious though as it becomes clear that Andrew’s powers are beginning to get to his head as he is the strongest out of the three and more in control. This is a common trope in a genre like this, the geeky kid is always better at it than the other two. In British superpowers show Misfits, it’s outcast Simon that gets control of his invisibility before anyone else. However, instead of using it as a simple trope Landis and Trank actually embrace it and format it into character development rather than just a throw away.

They also takes elements from other hero tales, mainly Japanese film, Akira. I have read many reviewers that say Chronicle is just an American Akira. Yes, I see certain aspects of it but I still see the film as a stand alone. In a world full of remakes I think it’s ok to borrow certain things from other mediums as long as you can make it your own. 

Landis really writes Andrew in a way that makes us want to root for him, which is why it’s sad but satisfying at the same time when things take a turn. I did catch myself wondering for a second if this is a movie about a group of superheroes or the story of a super villain. There’s more to Andrew than meets the eye, he’s bullied, his mother is dying, his father is an abusive jerk and his only friend is his cousin Matt.  Andrew could overcome it but everything is against him, he has so much power and what could he do with it? He seeks vengeance on those that have wronged him. We connect with Andrew, his eyes are ours but than something switches and we are left without a guide. If Andrew’s the Tetsuo Shima of the story then who is Shotaro Kaneda ?  

Our hero comes in the form of second fiddle Matt. It really came out of left field for me because I was almost certain that he’d be dead right as Andrews’ villainous tendencies erupted. Matt is sort of the middle child in the group of three. Andrew and Steve both come to their powers quickly where as Matt has some troubles with certain abilities, mainly flight. Although sidebar, I should have known from all of my years of Smallville that it shouldn’t matter how fast you pick up flight you can still be the biggest kid in the playground. After watching the movie it made sense that Matt came out of the wood work and became the hero. His love for Andrew was his driving force for wanting to save him and even during the final moments he still tells Andrew he loves him after everything he’s done. It’s very Clark Kent of him and as a Superman fan I find this really endearing. There is one thing all heros have in common, the root of their mission is love. Even a character like Batman still fights because of the love of his parents, and Matt found the strength he was missing to defeat Andrew because of his love for him thus making him a compelling hero. 

The final showdown between Matt and Andrew is a lot of fun and considering the budget of the film. The visual and the sound effects are above par, and it makes you believe that you are actually watching this on the news. Matt versus Andrew (now referring to himself as the Apex Predator) was bitter sweet in many ways. Although the effects were good, it wasn’t really what drew you into the scene. It was the melancholy moment where you knew Andrew was gone and there was nothing left for Matt to do but kill him. 

What Chronicle does right is that it plays with the stereotypes of heroes. Most superhero films out now rely on more visual effects and fight scenes rather than dialogue and character development. Chronicle takes the average Superhero movie and turns it upside down. If you’re going into it looking for something all action you might be disappointed, but if on the other hand you want to watch something cerebral yet entertaining Chronicle is for you. The relationship between the boys is probably the best part of it all. 

I’m very excited that there will be a sequel, I really want to see what trouble will follow Matt next.

Chronicle stars Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Michael B. Jordan. Written by Max Landis and Josh Trank the film was also directed by Trank and is available on VOD, DVD and Bluray. 

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