The found footage technique of telling a movie’s story has become an overdone and cheesy way of movie making.  As a result, I wasn’t sure of what to expect from Chronicle, since it is also told like that.  But, I reluctantly went and what I saw really surprised me.

The movie begins with a socially awkward teenager named Andrew (Dane DeHaan).  He decides to document his hard life of abuse from his alcoholic father and his struggle to keep his dying mother alive with a video camera.  One night, Andrew, his cousin, Matt (Alex Russell), and best friend Steve (Michael B. Jordan) come across a mysterious rock, that when touched, gives them telekenisis.  However, Andrew begins using his powers for darker purposes.  There is more to the story but it would be better if I didn’t spoil it.

My only problem with this film is that Matt’s love interest (Ashley Hinshaw) was a pointless character.  What I mean is that her only purpose is to serve as an extra camera for scenes that Andrew wasn’t in.  As a result, her character isn’t developed at all and you don’t care about the character.

Other than that, this film is amazing.  The editing was fantastic, especially in the final act of the movie.  Also, the film uses really intresting camera angles whenever Andrew is using his telekenisis to direct the camera.  Another thing I liked was the length of the film.  While this movie is a bit shorter than most (84 minutes), I thought it was the perfect runningtime as the pace wasn’t slow.  Lastly, I appreciate that the filmmakers didn’t shake the camera like crazy, like in other found footage movies.

Overall, this film is a great way to start the 2012 season of movies.  If you are looking for a fun, but dark action or superhero film, you can’t go wrong with Chronicle.  Final Rating: 4.5/5