Teenagers acquire superpowers 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 superpowers?"

You know that virginal, nerdy, downtrodden Andrew (Dane DeHaan) is going to address every tormentor and every torment once he's wandered down that crater and touched the magic, pulsating crystals. His cerebral 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. But when teenagers do what teenagers do — act impulsively — some will handle the ugly consequences better than others.

The young actors are charismatic, sympathetic and charming. The flying effects are first-rate, a marvelous next-generation version of something we've seen done reasonably well since "Superman."

This film strips away that "Spider-Man" animation and shows humans frolicking in the clouds — convincingly.

But the script — by director Josh Trank and Max Landis — sets us up for obvious payoffs, and then trips us up. Even when it follows a predictable path, it takes detours.

That makes "Chronicle" a semiserious sci-fi romp, lighter and more fun than many of the comic-book movies that it steals from, a superhero movie in which nobody ever crusades, or wears a cape.

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"Chronicle"

Three stars (out of four) • Rating PG-13 • Run time 1:23 • Content Intense action and violence, thematic material, some language, sexual content and teen drinking