Did you know Chronicle is a really good movie?

[Magus]

This movie perfectly encapsulates why character development is a much more important part of a "superhero movie" than what powers the dude has, or how many dudes with powers are in the movie, or like, whether he blow up stuff real good.

Andrew is a tragic figure on par with the great tragic heroes of fiction. He is probably the most realistically drawn portrait of a troubled teenager in recent movies (possibly ever), while also being the most realistically drawn portrait of what a troubled teenager would do if given super powers. Matt is also a very interesting foil to him: someone who could be popular, has the looks and the personality, but because of his intense intelligence comes off as arrogant and distant (not helped by his awkward paraphrasing of existential philosophy in an attempt to impress a girl who is also a camera-nerd like Andrew), going out of his way not to be "cool", which of course makes him cool to Andrew, who due to his own social awkwardness is bullied horrifically by his classmates. Steven rounds out the group as being a somewhat one-note "golden boy", the jock who is intensely popular, but whose own actions send Andrew on the eventual path he takes in the second half of the film.

Note: please ignore the commercials that render Andrew as seemingly one-note villain (he's actually the main character, btw). This is easily one of the most complex renditions of a character I have seen in years, especially in a science fiction movie.

Also ignore the part of your brain that is going "oh, no, not another POV shaky-cam film". 1. The camera is not actually shaky, and 2. they solve the POV problem pretty early in the film (Andrew figures out how to make the camera hover and float about pretty quickly). Unlike pretty much every movie to use it since the Blair Witch Project, it's not a gimmick (well, it's a gimmick right near the end, but it's actually pretty well done in that part, so I'll let it slide) but part of the plot.

I will venture that Chronicle is, if not the best superhero movie of all time, probably the second- or third-best. Like this movie is seriously good. It's funny and entertaining and thought-provoking. If you haven't seen it, see it before they take it out of theaters, or watch it on DVD when you can. It really is a must-see film.

This movie again illustrates that all the special-effects in the world don't mean crap if you don't have the writing and acting to back it up. This movie was made on a budget of 12 million but it's on-par with The Dark Knight in my mind, and may actually surpass it. For all its short running length (I think an hour-and-a-half, though it felt like less), it has the kind of dramatic weight that I think has been missing from so many "blockbuster" superhero films, while not being dragged down by its own pretentiousness or "wink wink nudge nudge" satire (such as we see in films like Super or Kick-Ass).

It also probably has the advantage of not being based on an actual super hero comic, and so can focus on deconstructing the genre and getting across much simpler, narrower message than a Batman or Superman film does, where they get bogged down in the mythology behind their respective heroes.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

I had a feeling that movie was going to be good. Shame I didn't watch it, now I feel bad.


Aw well I'll just buy the Blu-ray set when it comes out.

[Magus]

Well, it apparently has made 50 million so fortunately for an indie film it has been quite successful...does 12 million count as indie? I think it does in this industry nowadays...anyway, unlike so many films, this one actually deserves to make a crapton of money.

[Amake]

For the first couple of sentences I thought this was an essay about Chronicles of Riddick. Had not heard of this movie; I will check it out posthaste.

And yes 12 a million dollar budget is probably within the bounds of independent filming by most definitions. Much less than that and we're talking about a zero-budget movie.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Yeah I liked this movie. Really good film, and pretty much a spot on depiction of how I'd imagine people would deal with suddenly developing super powers IRL. Or at least, it's pretty much what I would do if I suddenly had telekinetic powers.

[Magus]

Yeah I liked this movie. Really good film, and pretty much a spot on depiction of how I'd imagine people would deal with suddenly developing super powers IRL. Or at least, it's pretty much what I would do if I suddenly had telekinetic powers.

I liked how when they learned to fly, they discovered how dangerous it actually would be (and cold).

[The Sevenshot Kid]

I loved the movie. It is totally White Akira in the sense that it perfectly adapts the idea of getting psychic powers to American sensibilities. No government conspiracies or Hiroshima analogues, just a couple of friends dicking around together with things starting to escalate out of their control.

Can't wait for the sequel, I'm actually familiar with the writer from his youtube monologue on "Knightfall", but I do hope they drop the found footage aspect rather than feeling beholden to it.

[Doc ock rokc]

I liked the movie. no 'liked' is the wrong word, I LOVED this movie... However due to my own personal history it struck dangerously close to home. While I feel that I am not close to Andrew I have managed to survive some of the things that he has experienced (but if my mom died and I was blamed for it I would flip the fuck out as well)

To make this movie a bit more akward with me Me and my brother (who fits Matt to a T) watched this together with our dad...yeah...:ohdear:

[synkr0nized]

Wow.

I was hoping this was all, like, sarcasm. But you guys seem to actually like this movie.

I cannot fathom why. What starts out entertaining in the first bits -- just regular guys getting crazy powers and not immediately going "lol super heroes" with it, cracking jokes, etc. -- was pretty good. I recall the audience laughing with the movie. It didn't take long for everyone to swap to laughing at it, though. The angst plotline and utter lack of character development made for a highly disappointing movie. Practically everyone was laughing at how dumb it was by the climax.


So far, in recent months, the only thing contending with it for worst movie is Ghost Rider 2. The latter is totally Comedy of the Year, though.




e: Like I am seeing comments about the writing... What writing? This movie gives off the impression that a few guys sat around in a bar, came up with an admittedly interesting movie idea, and then never expanded beyond that initial brainstorming. Sure, they have a script that goes on for however long the movie is, but it definitely lacks any kind of oomph.

e: Andrew totally is a one-note villain. Oh man.
Is this something you have to have been an awkward kid to think is complex or something?

[The Sevenshot Kid]

Wow.

I didn't think it was possible for someone to just not get it. Especially when it comes to such a simple film.

[Amake]

Yeah it's movie of the year material right there. I went to see it and even paid for a ticket for my cousin just because I didn't want to wait one more day to be free of her company, and I regret nothing.

I'm only a little bitter that when I get my book out with the part where the protagonists make videos showing off their powers to the public people will think it's a ripoff.

I was sweating bullets throughout about the last half which is a good reliable gauge of a movie containing intense, immersive suspense. It takes the authenticity approach and runs with it like a tandoori chicken death racer on steroids; there was like one or two seconds in the entire movie where I was thinking about the fact that I watched a movie at all.

I wonder if it'll be the Carrie of its generation. Yeah I mean the book not the movie, which is composed as a series of intercut after-action reports, interviews and nonfiction novels written about the event. The effectively edited daisy chains of home video footage brings it to mind, though the movie probably works a lot better than Carrie did.

So yeah thanks for the heads-up.

[Magus]

e: Andrew totally is a one-note villain. Oh man.
Is this something you have to have been an awkward kid to think is complex or something?

How is he one-note? He's physically abused by his father and classmates (I think you missed the part where they actually put him in a headlock and slap him in the face), has a dying mother, ends up attacking people to try and steal money for her medicine, and then after getting half-blown up is again attacked by his father who has just told him his mother is dead and that it's his fault. I think they did a far better job of justifying his misanthropy than pretty much any "villain" in these super hero movies.

Yes, the plot is simple. I think that's its biggest strength.

I'm not saying it's a perfect superhero film but pretty close to it.

Not sure what audience you saw it with, from what I could tell everyone else in the theater was as fairly moved as I was by the plight of the characters. Some of them even audibly gasped at the father telling Andrew his mother was dead, which, being as how it was an eminently foreseeable plot point, speaks to the dramatic weight of that scene.

So apparently we had entirely different experiences watching it.

[Premmy]

Just as a note. Unless they fight crime, it isn't really a super-hero movie.

[Jagos]

Well, that's where Andrew seems to be going.

And I can honestly say that with this found footage theory it makes the most sense given everything that happens in the end. Seriously, the only question you should be asking is "Who found all of this footage?"

[Magus]

I'm going to assume you mean Matt, Jagos.

And I feel it's a superhero movie, just one whose entire story arc is an examination of the origin of the superhero that takes place between Spider-Man getting his powers and Spider-Man not stopping that dude from murdering his uncle because gotta get me some money, with like, maybe the five minutes directly after that as an epilogue. So not a traditional one but one all the same...

[synkr0nized]

How is he one-note? He's physically abused by his father and classmates (I think you missed the part where they actually put him in a headlock and slap him in the face), has a dying mother, ends up attacking people to try and steal money for her medicine, and then after getting half-blown up is again attacked by his father who has just told him his mother is dead and that it's his fault. I think they did a far better job of justifying his misanthropy than pretty much any "villain" in these super hero movies.

Yes, the plot is simple. I think that's its biggest strength.

I'm not saying it's a perfect superhero film but pretty close to it.

Not sure what audience you saw it with, from what I could tell everyone else in the theater was as fairly moved as I was by the plight of the characters. Some of them even audibly gasped at the father telling Andrew his mother was dead, which, being as how it was an eminently foreseeable plot point, speaks to the dramatic weight of that scene.

So apparently we had entirely different experiences watching it.


I don't see how giving the creepy kid that had no friends the chance to do what he probably was always wishing he could do back to the bullies was all that deep or great. Yeah, the medicine thing was a nice idea, but much like most of the movie it's so lol in its execution. But that was the point, I am sure. In any case once he starts spouting shit like "apex predator" and becoming the bully himself, I can't say I was surprised. It was quite unremarkable, and the dialogue was just so over-the-top silly.

That the audience you were with failed to suspect his mother would die is a little surprising, if it was from surprise. Like, that was telegraphed from the moment we learned his mother was actually a character, which removes any drama from it happening. If they were moved, well, they're easier to please than I am, I guess.

[Magus]

I don't see how giving the creepy kid that had no friends the chance to do what he probably was always wishing he could do back to the bullies was all that deep or great. Yeah, the medicine thing was a nice idea, but much like most of the movie it's so lol in its execution. But that was the point, I am sure. In any case once he starts spouting shit like "apex predator" and becoming the bully himself, I can't say I was surprised. It was quite predictable.

That the audience you were with failed to suspect his mother would die is a little surprising. Like, that was telegraphed from the moment we learned his mother was actually a character.

No, I meant the scene was delivered with enough dramatic weight that it didn't matter that we saw it coming. This entire movie was quite predictable, but I felt that was the point. It is supposed to be very run-of-the-mill in its plot points and elements (why do you think the powers are pretty much in execution just Superman's powers instead of something out-there?), but very unique in its delivery and its examinations of superhero tropes. Most comic book villains start spouting "apex predator!" five minutes after they get their powers, just because. Whereas this film delves into why someone would do that. Most comic book heroes would just be generically good for no reason. Matt starts out as pretentious and distant but comes to realize that he let Andrew down in his time of need when he examines the videos afterward, that his inaction and action had real repercussions.

[Kim]

I spent much of the movie really wanting Matt to turn out to be gay. It certainly would have worked well with his character. He's very much wrapped up in how other people perceive him and fitting a particular mold, so tying his leaving the need to fit that mold with his coming out of the closet would have been cool.

[Magus]

I spent much of the movie really wanting Matt to turn out to be gay. It certainly would have worked well with his character. He's very much wrapped up in how other people perceive him and fitting a particular mold, so tying his leaving the need to fit that mold with his coming out of the closet would have been cool.

I felt the bromantic undertones of this film were lampshaded in Andrew just straight-out awkwardly asking Matt, "Do you like me?" Ultimately it appears to be a platonic question but the double entendre seemed purposeful (even if only for humor purposes).

[Jagos]

Iunno synk, it seems that you're rather critical of the movie...


This movie is akin to looking at Spiderman and actually making the movie relatable to an actual angsty teenager.

Andrew had a pretty crappy existence from what we see. He wasn't anyone perfect, he did a bunch of stuff wrong and was a socially awkward teen that never should have had these powers in the first place.

Matt tried way too hard. 'Nuff said.

And Steve... Yeah, Hollywood can bite me (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BlackDudeDiesFirst).

More or less, Chronicle acts as a deconstruction of the superhero genre, showing the issues of actually giving people what they wish for in regards to super powers.

[Kim]

To be honest, that lampshading kinda bugs me, given the poor representation of gay characters in popular entertainment and generally mocking tone such a lampshading has. I generally felt that the themes of the character would have been better reinforced by making Matt gay. Since each character's "theme" was such a major part of the movie, it's a bit frustrating, beyond my own personal bias, that that was held back in an attempt to make it easier for straight guys to identify with.

[Jagos]

"Theme?"

So what were Andrew and Steven's themes?

[Kim]

To be honest, theme is probably a bad word for it, but whatevs. Anywho...

Andrew's theme is how he distances himself from society. He builds a wall between himself and others. In the end of the film, his concept of himself being the "alpha predator" or whatever is taking his wanting to be separate from others to its logical extreme of him seeing himself as separate from others. In a word, Andrew's theme would be "destruction", because he attempts to destroy his connection to society.

Steve's theme is more about a very strong social relationship. He feels a very strong connection to others and society. If it weren't for him being killed, he's definitely the most inclined of any of the three towards being an actual superhero. While Andrew uses his powers to further divide himself from others, Steve, being the socially focused individual that he is and about that connection, tries to rebuild Andrew's connection to society and the rest of the world. If Andrew is destruction, Steve is reconstruction.

[Jagos]

So how does Matt fit into this? It seems that Andrew and Steve are two sides of an opposite coin without Matt being any type of counterforce.

[Kim]

Matt falls in the middle ground. His false persona is simultaneously his way of separating his true self from others, yet also how he *attempts* to connect to others. While Andrew and Steve are both about reinforcing their starting points with how they develop, Matt is more about overcoming who he once was. As he is the only survivor, this is fitting. By tearing down his false persona, he's truly able to connect with others, thus why the end foreshadows his becoming a superhero, as Steve would have done had he survived.

[Premmy]

I'm going to assume you mean Matt, Jagos.

And I feel it's a superhero movie, just one whose entire story arc is an examination of the origin of the superhero that takes place between Spider-Man getting his powers and Spider-Man not stopping that dude from murdering his uncle because gotta get me some money, with like, maybe the five minutes directly after that as an epilogue. So not a traditional one but one all the same...

The more I analyze super-hero fiction the more annoyed I am that everyone latched onto the "has powers" aspect as defining of the genre and less the actual things that used(because even mainstream comics writers drank the "It's modern myth!" Kool-Aid a while ago.) to make Super-hero stories unique from other ones. MAYBE the idea of them battling the troubles of a modern teenager might be considered "Super-heroic" but Just the "Get's powers, has character development/conflict" does not a super-hero story make.

[stefan]

The more I analyze super-hero fiction the more annoyed I am that everyone latched onto the "has powers" aspect as defining of the genre and less the actual things that used(because even mainstream comics writers drank the "It's modern myth!" Kool-Aid a while ago.) to make Super-hero stories unique from other ones. MAYBE the idea of them battling the troubles of a modern teenager might be considered "Super-heroic" but Just the "Get's powers, has character development/conflict" does not a super-hero story make.

the "superpowers" thing is part of it, but people are mainly calling this a Superhero movie because Andrew is basically Peter Parker, if Aunt May was an abusive drunken ex-fireman and Peter wasn't a fucking saint.

[Magus]

Also another thing about you saying they have to fight crime, which to me would make Thor or Iron Man pretty much ineligible to be a superhero, for example. When Matt fights Andrew to try and prevent him from killing people, saves Andrew's father, etc., it makes him into a superhero. I mean you don't see Thor or Iron Man putting down robberies or something, they battle other super powered beings in their respective works, but they are still in the superhero genre because they're saving people or the planet or whatever.

Although again as you said you may have problems with the modern superhero stuff as a whole.

[Premmy]

Also another thing about you saying they have to fight crime, which to me would make Thor or Iron Man pretty much ineligible to be a superhero, for example. When Matt fights Andrew to try and prevent him from killing people, saves Andrew's father, etc., it makes him into a superhero. I mean you don't see Thor or Iron Man putting down robberies or something, they battle other super powered beings in their respective works, but they are still in the superhero genre because they're saving people or the planet or whatever.

Although again as you said you may have problems with the modern superhero stuff as a whole.
Well "Crime" "Hatred" "For Freedom" anything but "That guy/those guys" A super-hero has to fight a concept more than a specific enemy. It has to be a constant battle. If it's a one-time thing where they then just try to live a normal life or go on to become military weapons, then no, they wouldn't be super-heroes.