Teenagers acquire superpowers and, being teenagers, videotape themselves as they learn what they can do in "Chronicle," an entertaining comic-book movie without the comic book.
Featuring effects that put the last two "Spider-Man" movies to shame, engaging, believable characters and a kind of real-teens / real-problems melodramatic screenplay, this makes an entertaining exercise in that child's game, "What would you do if you had superpowers?"
You know that virginal, nerdy Andrew (Dane DeHaan) will address every tormentor and every torment (the sex thing) once he's entered that crater and touched the magic, pulsating crystals. His cerebral, Jung-and-Schopenhauer-quoting cousin Matt (Alex Russell) will get to test out what he's read about humans as "beings of pure will." And Steve (Michael B. Jordan), the popular kid, will find something to do with his new skills in telekinesis.
The clever conceit here is that each boy already has the emotional issues or personality that will inform how he handles seemingly unlimited power. But when teenagers do what teenagers do -- act impulsively -- some will handle the ugly consequences better than others.
The young actors are charismatic, sympathetic and charming. This film strips that "Spider-Man" animation away and shows us human beings frolicking in the clouds -- convincingly. The video gimmick never lets you forget that this is "Cloverfield" meets "Fantastic Four."
But the script -- by director Josh Trank and Max Landis -- sets us up for obvious payoffs, and then trips us up. Even when it follows a predictable path, it takes detours.
That makes "Chronicle" a semi-serious sci-fi romp, lighter and more fun than many of the comic-book movies that it steals from, a superhero movie in which nobody ever crusades, or wears a cape.
