At first glance, Chronicle looked to be a forgettable mash-up of two of the most prevalent movie trends of recent years: super-hero flicks and "found footage." There's nothing inherently wrong with that combination, but the early trailers left me afraid it was going to be ninety minutes of youthful hooligans using telekinesis to prank people: like Project X with mutant powers. Thankfully, Chronicle wound up having more on its mind than proving that with great power comes great irresponsibility. While it wasn't perfect, and the found-footage concept was, as with most movies in the genre, stretched to the breaking point by the time the end credits rolled, Chronicle was nevertheless one of the more pleasant surprises of this year for me. If you didn't give it a chance in theaters, or did and have been waiting to add it to your collection, Chronicle will be hitting Blu-ray and DVD on May 15th, courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
The Blu-ray Combo Pack for Chronicle will list for $39.99, and includes the usual trifecta of Blu-ray, DVD, and digital copy. It will include both the original theatrical cut and an extended director's cut of the film, plus a deleted scene, pre-viz segment, camera test, and info about the soundtrack. Not exactly a bonus-features package for the ages, so I'd say rent the flick to check it out for yourself before you commit and buy a copy. Amazon currently has it for 30% off, and the set's a lot more palatable at $27.99. You can also opt for the DVD version for a list price of $29.98
Even if you're suffering from super-hero fatigue after the past few years, Chronicle is worth a watch. It's not perfect, but it has a lot of fun with an overworked concept.
