First of all, props for making a superhero movie that doesn’t rely on existing properties. The studio system’s insistence on fishing with dynamite by only investing in ancient properties is dispiriting. It’s nice to see a gamble on a new franchise pay off a bit.

That said, ‘Chronicle’ doesn’t exactly break a lot of new ground. Teenagers stumble on a pulsating McGuffin that gives them powers – telekinesis in this case. The kids first exult in their new abilities, then begin to struggle with how to use them. Their different approaches to great power expose the differences between them and we slowly learn who will be the hero, who will be the villain, and who should have known better than to be the only black guy in the story.

Taken on its own modest terms, this is a decent flick. The choice to make it a ‘found footage’ film is nowhere near as cool as it would have been a decade ago, but it does a lot to hide the rough edges that come from vast cinematic ambition and modest funding. There are an ungodly number of effects shots, and some of them are downright exhilarating. Since it’s an origin story, in the end all that can happen is 90 minutes of setup for bigger things to come. Given that limitation, the film fulfills its mission, despite some patchy acting and a few draggy bits. I want to see what happens next.