171, Chronicle

So the trailer gives a lot of this movie away, three high school kids discover an alien being and their contact results in them each obtaining telekinetic energy which they use firstly to cause a few pranks but as the movie progresses it gets a little darker and the impact, more significant until a resulting face off with the boys in blue and some pretty mind blowing effects.

What the trailer does not tell you is its all shot completely from video cameras, similar to Blair Witch or even Cloverfield.  some may like this but for me it was just jerky and off putting.

Luckily, it gets into the action relatively quickly but it then seems to take forever getting any further.  Don't get me wrong, the effects of the boys identifying with their powers is very well done and in some places quite comical but its the story of Andrew that takes the lead and his tragic existence to date.  Maybe tragic is a bit of a mean term.  He's unliked at school, unloved at home and with few friends to fall back on his powers come as a welcome break to his insignificant existence. 

We see Andrew, his cousin and the School hero become as thick as thieves and the movie tracks Andrews rise to popularity by expressing powers as potential 'magic' tricks but when his lust for more power takes over its his friends Matt and Steve who try to pull him back down to earth with a few terrible side effects.

The story is long winded and after a while the '1st person' view starts to get a bit annoying but then, luckily it all kicks off is about half hour from the end.  The special effects, action and story really ramp up to quite an impressive climax and although I'm not going to give it away - the end is pretty great.

As for the cast, relatively unknown with mostly TV actors taking the lead and this does allow you to focus on the characters more rather than say "I preferred him in this or that".

What is never explained though is the 'how' and the 'why'.  There is no identification with the Alien force or in deed how it ended up on Earth.  The movie ends quite openly, leaving room for a Sequel but I very much believe there wont ever be one.  I don't think there needs to be, this is about the three lads concerned and each of their stories are well and truly identified with. 

Being shot all by hand held video camera does bring you closer to the events taking place and it makes it far more personal than your normal Action / Alien movie but its jerkiness puts me off really being able to rave about this movie.  Its good but although it will hugely appeal to a large audience, it will annoy the rest.