I’ve pretty much ignored the “found footage” genre for the
last year or so. My skepticism is
largely fueled by its rather gimmicky nature.
Even the best ones are one trick ponies with little to no repeat value. What little novelty factor the genre has left
is fast being squandered by unimaginative filmmakers who seem content on using it
for a series of cinematic smash-and-grabs. By the time audiences realize what they've been sold, the box office receipts have been tallied and production costs have been recouped. From there it's on to the next one.
My skepticism aside, Chronicle
peaks my interest. The story revolves
around three teenaged friends who are endowed with strange powers after
investigating a crater. They initially
use these new found abilities to indulge in some youthful mischief, but their
antics soon give way to truly destructive behavior as their ids begin to fully
manifest.
To my knowledge, the “found footage” approach has never been
applied to superhero films. The very
idea brings lots of tantalizing possibilities to mind. The films trailer played like a mash-up of Akira and Heroes. It also seemed to
stress a slight horror angle to the material.
That is not unexpected, as the “found footage” genre is mostly associated
with horror of some sort.
A series of clips have recently been released, many of which
show the characters exploring their powers in various ways. The latest one shows the trio of friends
stumbling upon a mysterious crater in the woods. As is required by such stories, they decide
to investigate the crater a bit too thoroughly, leading to unexpected
consequences. When the trio finally
discovers what lies at the end of dark cavern, a few multicolored images strobe
in rapid succession. The clip ends
without spoiling the outcome.
I really hope that Chronicle
manages to live up to the promise of its marketing and advertising materials. With
every passing day, the proposed live action adaptation of Akira seems that much less likely to ever emerge from the depths of
development hell. The third season of Misfits was hugely disappointing. Chronicle
seemingly offers another opportunity for this subject matter to be done
right. Let’s hope that its makers have
something more to offer than shaky camera work.
No comments:
Post a Comment