'Chronicle' a semi-serious sci-fi romp

"CHRONICLE" — ★★★ — Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan, Alex Russell, Michael Kelly; PG-13 (intense action and violence, thematic material, some language, sexual content and teen drinking); in general release

Teenagers acquire super powers and, being teenagers, videotape themselves as they learn what they can do in "Chronicle," an entertaining comic-book movie without the comic book.

Featuring effects that put the last two "Spider-Man" movies to shame, engaging, believable characters and a kind of real-teens/real-problems melodramatic screenplay, this makes an entertaining exercise in that child's game, "What would YOU do if you had super powers?"

You know that virginal, nerdy, downtrodden Andrew (Dane DeHaan) is going to address every tormentor and every torment (the sex thing) once he's wandered down that crater and touched the magic, pulsating crystals. His cerebral, Jung-and-Schopenhauer-quoting cousin, Matt (Alex Russell), will get to test out what he's read about humans as "beings of pure will." And Steve (Michael B. Jordan), the popular kid, will find something to do with his new skills in telekinesis.

The clever conceit here is that each boy already has the emotional issues or personality that will inform how he handles great, seemingly unlimited power. They can goof around, figuring out who can take a smack from a baseball and who can master flying first. But when teenagers do what teenagers do — act impulsively — some will handle the ugly consequences better than others.

Matt wants them to follow some rules: "No using it on living things ... You can't use it when you're angry." He'd also like to impress a lovely video blogger (Ashley Hinshaw), if only he could show her his little secret.

The gregarious Steve helps Andrew come out of his shell and join the ranks of the popular by concocting a cute magic act with him.

And Andrew is so bent, so twisted up by his dying mom, his alcoholic dad and the bitter hand that life has dealt him, that he can't come up with a way to try and help his mother with this new omnipotence.