Movie Monday- Chronicle

I thought this movie was a Vin Diesel movie every time I saw it in the movie listings. I know, I know, that’s a totally different series…But in my defense, the movie poster doesn’t really have any actors on it and is kind of dark and gloom-y looking so….I think I am justified in my wrong assumption.

When I finally stopped to look at the description I realized that it was that one movie where the kids can move stuff with their minds. And then one of them goes evil. Something like that. Looked interesting and is playing at exactly when we had time for a movie. Done.

Extra added bonus, it takes place in Seattle. Love seeing movies that are filmed in my backyard. Even if that backyard is actually like 40 miles from my actual backyard. No bigs.

The story revolves around three teens who make an interesting discovery in the woods during a party and wammo! their lives are forever changed. They suddenly have telekinetic powers and this new discovery entertains and challenges them.

The entire story is told from the perspective of an ever-present camera that teen #1 (Andrew) has decided to carry around with him to document his life. We don’t really understand why he has decided to do this other than that his father is abusive and he maybe wants to document that? The filming is sometimes jumpy and jarring and every now and then it switches from his camera to others who also randomly have cameras (a girl who films everything for her blog, passers-by who are capturing some of the more destructive scenes at the end of the movie etc…). Personally I found it an interesting way to tell the story and I enjoyed the perspective that the literal “behind-the-camera filming” brought to the plot.

I wish there would have been more revelation around what happened to the teens in the woods and how whatever it was that they found enabled them to have these object-moving powers.  Being that these powers and the struggle to contain and harness those powers were the central point of the movie, it would have been nice to have more information about where it came from. I kept waiting for the “big reveal”, but it never really came.

I really enjoyed the fun of this movie, but I think it had the power (pun-intended) to be so much more. With more development of the characters, a back-story to the “power provider” and just MORE development in general it would have been so much better. It could have been a terrific sic-fi masterpiece. A little disappointing, since the idea of obtaining powers to move things with your mind and what you could do (good or bad) with those powers could play out a lot of different ways.

Overall Rating: Medium popcorn, Large drink
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