CERT: 15 | PLATFORM: DIGITAL | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

One of the distinctive things about a lot of Australian science fiction is the way in leans towards apocalyptic wastelands and the general feeling that the world would be better off without people in it. Chronicle 2067 is the tale of a pollution ravaged Earth in which mankind has taken far more than the planet can cope with. The air is poison and no one can venture outside without protection.

The fate of the world changes however when a team of scientists complete work on a device called the Chronicle, a portal that allows one to travel through time in an extremely dangerous fashion.
Due to over-contrived plot complications, the person has to go through is the movie’s extremely unlikeable protagonist.

Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Ethan Whyte, a young man with a chip on his shoulder so large that he can barely speak and grunts his way through this feature. McPhee does an extremely powerful job at bringing the character to life, but the script is against him. Whyte’s job is keeping the cities unstable nuclear reactor running. He has a surly best friend and a sick wife. Basically, his life sucks and he doesn’t do himself any favours. When adventure calls, he reluctantly heeds the call and our story really begins

The bulk of the movie is taken up with the results of Whyte’s jaunt into the future, which includes a large amount of angst and nihilism. They are some great moments; the special effects set-pieces are nicely done and the grimy over-all atmosphere of the feature is well rendered. The problem is the story; it’s a very thin tale, one that would have made a great short film. Alas the narrative is stretched to snapping point and the viewer ends up more than a little bored.

Chronicle 2067 has some moments of brilliance, a solid cast and some great effects. It’s just a pity about the plot.