MovieChat Forums > Chronicle (2012) Discussion > Why didn't they use their powers to get ...

Why didn't they use their powers to get rich?


If I got powers like these kids, one of the first thing I'd do is get hold of some money, at the very least enough to buy a property outright, even if only for no other reason than the power might not be permanent, so I might as well put them to a good use while I can.

Andrew was clearly unhappy in his parents' house, so you'd think this would have occurred to him at least. Okay, maybe he wanted to be close to his mother, but he could have at least attained some cash to get her decent medical care. He waited until she was practically at death's door to do anything about it. Hell, look at that movie, Jumper. A kid with powers uses them to escape his abusive father and have an awesome time. The protagonist in that movie had the right idea, even if he was extremely sloppy. It seemed to me that the three lads in Chronicle weren't thinking about the future.

"Why do you say this to me when you know I will kill you for it?"

reply

Sixteen or eighteen year old kids don't exactly make savvy businessmen, that's one problem. The main reason for that is that most of us lacked true perspective and the ability to strategically plan for things on the scope of years. That is something you learn to acquire once a year doesn't feel like a significant chunk of your life (which it literally still is). I think petty crime, as depicted in the film, is probably the best money making plan they could have come up with. They certainly wouldn't have any interest in buying property, nor would they have the means (without a lengthy legal process of emancipation at any rate).

All of that aside, how would you propose using telekinesis to make loads of cash? The magic show, okay if that went to Penn & Teller or something it could maybe make a little splash. Not "rich" though. I don't know, outside of crime I'm not seeing too many things you could do, without exposing your abilities. Come off like a fraud like Uri Geller? Again, that takes more than just bending spoons, that takes a lot of strategic work over many years.

reply

I don't think being a teenager has anything to do with it, I pondered this kind of stuff all the time when I was a kid reading comics. I don't necessarily mean "rich", but they could at least be self-sufficient. Telekinesis in casinos, to manipulate the lottery balls, smuggling, etc. Anything. Personally, I wouldn't be above using the power for illegal means, it would certainly minimise the chances of getting caught.



"Why do you say this to me when you know I will kill you for it?"

reply

They didn't seem to even consider it. Probably because it was out of their realms. They weren't exactly bad kids. They fooled around and played pranks, but none of them considered doing anything illegal until a situation got desperate, like Andrew's. On a normal day, they would try to live life as normally as possible while fooling around with superpowers and keeping it a secret.

reply

They were in high school. Most highschoolers aren't old enough to buy lottery tickets or get into casinos. They could probably knock over an armored car or two though.

reply

If your first impulse is to exploit your power to "get rich", then there's no way in hell you're mature or responsible enough to have that much power, period. Halfwits and power don't mix, even when they think they can justify their actions.

reply

I'm sure I could handle it, I would simply put it to a use that would benefit me and people I care about. Not to say that's the only thing I'd do, but where's the sense in being broke when you don't need to be? In my opinion, it would be stupid not to help yourself in this position, and irresponsible not to help your family. What would you have me do, act the fool like the three boys in this movie? Out of curiosity, what would you do with these abilities?

"Why do you say this to me when you know I will kill you for it?"

reply

I was hoping that other person would have something useful to contribute to the conversation. Ah well....

"Why do you say this to me when you know I will kill you for it?"

reply

Kinda sounds like you are right.At that age my friends and I hustled money anyway we could(mowed lawns,cleaned out garages,washed cars,etc.).If we had powers we would definitely try to make money.(And get laid)

reply

Exactly. When I was a teenager, I was much the same. I did all sorts of stuff to get money, mostly legal. I can't even remember the number of times in a movie, TV show or comic book when a character gets some sort of superpower that proves to be temporary, and when it fades, their lives reverts to the way it was, and they're left with nothing to show for the power they had. I've always thought that these characters are idiots for taking the power for granted and assuming it will last forever, not making any plans for the future if the power does fade. With this is mind, I would definitely set up a nest egg if I got superpowers. It would be moronic not to. I don't think I'm a bad guy for thinking this way, just extremely practical.

"Why do you say this to me when you know I will kill you for it?"

reply

You know, it's interesting, I often have the opposite thought - When I see characters get a superpower and then they use it to do something illicit, I usually think they're idiots because they have no idea whether their powers are temporary or not. So what happens to them if they get on someone's bad side and then they suddenly have no means to protect themselves? Even something as "simple" as manipulating the odds in a casino; if they catch on that you're cheating and either go after you with guns, as the case may have been in the old days, or they send the police after you, as they would do now, you're going to be in a bad spot if your powers suddenly fade. Granted, if the power you're using to rip them off is telekinesis and you're really good at it, you should be able to do it without giving away what that it's not natural. But, often, these characters do things that can be traced back to them and they don't care because they think they can handle whatever comes their way.

I also find it silly that they think they're suddenly an unstoppable god because they're above everyone else. As if, they're the only ones who could possibly have a power in a world where it was possible for them to get a power in a first place. So they go out and do something stupid that catches the attention of those with the will and ability to take them down. Sort of like what happened to the kid in "Jumper." The hunters may not have had powers, but they knew the signs to look for that ultimately allowed them to track him down and they knew his weaknesses. Even something simple as one of the people you told mouthing off about what you can do, or purposely trying to turn you in, may bring trouble to you. Where as, most people would dismiss them as crazy, what they say may get to those who are on the lookout for people saying those types of "crazy" things. Maybe they even think that would never happen to them because they would only tell people they trust, but that's how a lot of real world crimes are solved - You never know what others will do. They could be jealous of you, afraid of you, extremely moral to the point they think it's their duty to report you, or they could just be a loud mouth.

reply

You mentioned retribution from those you steal from and not being able to protect yourself if you lose your powers. A valid concern, but unless you're really stupid or really unlucky, I can't see any problems on that score.

I think the guy in Jumper had the right idea, he was just too damn careless. In this day and age where there are cameras everywhere being complacent with superpowers is idiotic. I'd also be extremely careful about who I tell, not to mention making sure people can't identify me when using powers.

"Why do you say this to me when you know I will kill you for it?"

reply

Well that's the thing; these people tend to be really stupid. The most common thing they do is go out in public, often without a mask, and pull off a major heist. Even if they do have a costume that disguises their face, their costumes sometimes don't include proper gloves so they're bound to leave fingerprints, (I've seen these fictional thieves with finger-less gloves more times than I can recall) their head gear can leave their hair exposed so they can very easily end up leaving strands of their hair behind, or they don't disguise their voice as Andrew failed to do. They also have a habit of bumbling things up and getting hurt; either resulting in them being captured while unconscious (again, like Andrew) or their DNA getting left at the scene.

Sure, those are tropes that writers and artists typically depict for creative purposes. Costumes, for example, are rarely designed based on real world functionality and instead tend to be put together based purely (or mostly) on aesthetics (finger-less gloves hearken a tough biker look and having, say, long, blond hair flow out of a mask tends to be a look that artists enjoy depicting). However, they do have the excuse that real world thieves make stupid mistakes like that all the time. So, when you see a character not trying to get rich before their powers go away and you think they're an idiot as a result, it's probably for the best that they don't try to make money as they are idiots and will screw up.

When talking about just yourself, sure, you can make the case that you'd be much smarter if you were in their place, in part, because you have seen their mistakes and therefore know what not to do. But, as you yourself pointed out, it's hard in this day and age. Not just with cameras all over the place, (including people with cell phones) but with how advanced forensic have become and all that. You really have to keep in mind a lot of things that would give you away and, while it's easy to think you can do that while sitting on a couch and laughing at how stupid characters are for making those mistakes, it's not so easy when you're actually in the thick of things, with your heart pumping and time on the clock. Throw in a few unknowns (like the cops or another person with superpowers suddenly being involved) and the chances of you messing up increase. Hell, your powers can go wonky on you in the act - If you know so little about them that you're afraid of losing them before you had a chance to get rich, there's certainly the risk that they can give you problems at any moment.

Also, again, you say you'll only tell people who you trust, but the second you tell anyone, you're at risk of it all falling apart on you. Criminals, very commonly, get turned in by people they thought they could trust - Parents have turned in their kids and life long friendships have ended over things like this. Unless the power you get is the ability to read minds, you never know what anyone is thinking, no matter how well you know them.

Jealousy, for example, would be a big motivator. Why do you have all this power and all this money when they don't? Sure, you may be sharing some money with them, but you still have so much more and what happens if they ask you for more and you think you've given them enough (especially if your powers are gone by this point and you want to save what you have)? Something like that can ruin a friendship, especially if there's the perception that you changed as a result of your new found power and wealth. Then, someone can rationalize their betrayal by saying to themselves that you deserved it. Maybe you know better people than I have, but based on my own experiences and the things I've read, (in regards to how criminals get caught) I wouldn't be trusting of anyone with something like that.

reply

that he neeeded money and tried to rob stores instead of using his power in a clever way is really the biggest and only loophole i could find in the movie.


The only problem for him, while trying to get some money would be that he is a minor, he can´t place bet, or play in a casino.

Casino would be the easy choice, just bet on red or black, and just push the ball one slot further, it would be impossible to stop that,
or you play dice there. Of course this stuff has to be trained so that the ball/dice isnt going "jump jump jump suddenly stopping"

But even while being underage, he would only need to find somebody to place bets for him in sports, the he would just have to meddle some things there.

Or another way would be to put somebody super rich in danger, by using his power, and then come "by chance" to rescue them.

Just push bill gates helicopter down into a river or something, then save him, stuff like that.

Its so easy to think off dozens of things he could have done to get tons of money.

reply

I forget that in the States you have to be 21 to do a lot of stuff. Must be a nightmare.

"Why do you say this to me when you know I will kill you for it?"

reply

Just push bill gates helicopter down into a river or something, then save him, stuff like that.


LOL

If he was smart, he'd just fly across country somewhere(Florida since they were in Seattle) and knock over about 10 banks and then fly back. He'd be set for life. We're talking hundreds of millions of dollars. No one would ever suspect him.

reply

I'm sure they would have used them to get rich, but remember that they didn't have them for very long before things went upside down. They were still getting used to them, training and judging the range of their ability. They had no idea how extensive their powers actually were until Andrew snapped.

Also, none of them have a criminal mentality to begin with. Even when Andrew robbed the gas station, he did so out of desperation and rage; there was no plan whatsoever, which is why he got injured doing something which should have been incredibly simple for him.

reply

although i guess nobody will ever read it,

it´s no use to have tens of millions of dollars without a good explanation for it.
Soon the IRS, and all other kinds of gouvernment agencies will be looking into your background to find where you got that money.

Also quite a lot of money in banks is registered, they know that banknote nuber XXX was in Bank Z, so if you spend that bill they know that you robbed the bank, or at least thats a substantial evidence.

Stealing money on a huge scale is only a good idea if one has the methods to wash it properly.

reply

The thing though is that in order to have a next day delivery order put in for his mother's drugs, he needed to find a quick way to get his hands on the small amount of cash that he needed that night (he didn't need a ton right then) and all of your suggestions require forethought, planning, and time. That's not to say that he couldn't have gone on to do something that would get him a lot of cash in the future, but it wasn't necessary or practical on that particular night.

Also, he was still struggling with moral ramifications, at the time. People often ask why he would go after a bunch of thugs and the reason is that he felt justified in taking from them because they were not nice people. After he found out that the money he got from them wasn't sufficient, he seemed to be really upset over what he had to do next. But, once he had gone there, I think it would've been easier for him to go further, so it probably would've been a stepping stone to worse - Had things not gone south and his mother died, I think he would’ve reasoned that he should have enough money on hand for all the medication that she will need in the future. Then, he would’ve reasoned that she deserved to be more comfortable and have better treatment. Well, he would need even money for that. But then he'd think that why didn't he deserve to live a better life too. At that point, he would have the time to sit down and think up a proper way to use his powers to get a ton of money, but he wasn’t there yet when he did what he did and he got sidetracked from that path by losing it and going on a rampage.

reply

The thing though is that in order to have a next day delivery order put in for his mother's drugs, he needed to find a quick way to get his hands on the small amount of cash that he needed that night (he didn't need a ton right then) and all of your suggestions require forethought, planning, and time. That's not to say that he couldn't have gone on to do something that would get him a lot of cash in the future, but it wasn't necessary or practical on that particular night.


Knocking over an ATM wouldn't take that long, neither would a bank actually. This guy took down helicopters and raised buses thousands of feet into the air, he could have knocked over a bank or an ATM with relative ease. No planning.

reply

Sure, but, again, he didn't need that much money; at the time, all he cared about was getting that $700. So when the thug route didn't pan out, he probably just went to the closest source. It wasn't that smart, as is evident by how things turned out, but it would have satisfied his immediate goals so it would have seemed as just as good as going the ATM or bank route in the then and there. It's also less high profile as bank robberies are a much bigger deal than a simple hold up. Unfortunately, any benefit that he would have gotten from that was ruined when he stupidly let the camera and gas station attendant see him use his powers. But, it wouldn't have been the worst idea in the world, had he been smart about it. He could've even repayed the money he took after then sitting down and planning out a better way to get money for next time, like finding drug dealers and ripping them off.

reply

Viltumite,

I agree, would first trying to get rich quick without hurting innocents.
Its easy since when one is bore might think stuff like: what would I do if I win lottory or gain a super power. I wouldn't be suprise like those movies where they found out they are "different", goes depressed and in denial. I will be like: cool, always knew it. Lol.

So deal is get rich since who knows the power might run out. Casino is good to start, just don't get greedy pretend to lose once a while, and there are so many aroud the world. Settles those I love for life first. Return kindness I receive. Wouldn't waste my time with revenge unless its something seriously major, since the envy tourment is enough.

Defintly not gonna be a full time superhero. I never see the point in that. Honestly the world we live in doesn't deserve me to sacrifice my all to save it. When I'm settled, will put in some effort to make the world a better place, when I see fit and have the time/in the mood for it.


reply

This movie would have been so much more entertaining if it was about people like you and I.

reply

Have you never heard the phrase "Absolute power corrupts absolutely"?

I think it's true of most humans that they would at least try and better their current situation. What would you do with the power, chop vegetables from the lounge while watching TV?

One of the few ethical things to earn money I can think of doing is to form a big time magic act, especially something like Yurri Geller who was massive. That way they are actually entertaining people as well as earning money. Come to think of it you could also go and claim the 1 million dollar prize James Randi has held up for anyone that can pass his tests. I'd hate to see the poor man's face when he couldn't figure out how to disprove you :(

reply

I wouldn't go public with my abilities if I were like these kids, certainly not for 1 million. It's not worth it. Best case scenario is you never have another peaceful day for the rest of your life. Worst case is you'll end up on some operating table. I'd rather use the power to make money, but without exposing myself. The idea of the Randi prize is silly because anyone with paranormal abilities and a bit of imagination could use their talents to make way more than a million.

I know it's easy for me to say now, but I don't think I'm all that corruptible. Yes, given superhuman powers, I'd use them for my own personal benefit, but I wouldn't become an outright villain or anything. I'd just make sure I'm comfortable.

reply

I agree. Even a dumb kid who was suddenly endowed with godlike abilities would be able to come up with something like "get a goofy costume with a cape and fight crime," "tear abusive dad's arms and legs off in front of a stadium of people," "join the NBA/NFL/NHL/MLB," "become a badass untraceable global serial killer/rapist who kills in mysterious and confounding ways" (guy is abducted in the midwestern U.S. and found exposed to outer space at an Antarctic research station five minutes later, etc.), "fly to South America and take over a cocaine plantation - hell, the entire racket - and flood the streets with product," "become a top-tier assassin/mercenary who topples governments in the blink of an eye for hundreds of billions and even trillions of dollars," and "found a church and announce yourself as the messiah, pledging death to nonbelievers." I would have done all of that and more. Sure, teenagers are dumb but they would have been able to come up with *something*.

"Ass to ass. Ha ha ha ha. ASS TO ASS!"; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa5z77EI8y0

reply

Lol, they'd just gotten these powers about a week before everything went to hell, they didn't have time to become super-heroes/villains. And you're aware of how vast the range of interests, personal habits and behaviors are from person to person, right? Then why be shocked when a character's actions differ from what you would have done?

reply

At issue is not what the characters did versus what I would have done. My point is that nearly anyone would do some of the outrageous things I suggested. The fact that none of the characters did any of them is supremely implausible. More implausible even than advanced telekinesis. What about stealing a couple NASA spacesuits and stranding a bully on the moon? How about Mars? What about that emo dork character going Columbine on all those jerks that bullied him at school? Since telekinesis "doesn't exist," and physical evidence is required in nearly all murder cases, they could never prove that it was him in court even though everybody knew that it was obviously him. He could get away with murder.

"Ass to ass. Ha ha ha ha. ASS TO ASS!"; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa5z77EI8y0

reply

I just found these kids to be incredibly stupid. When Andrew needed money for his mum's medication, why blag a convenience store? I used to work in one, they never have a great deal of money in the tills, most of the money is in the safe at the back. It would have been far more sensible to rob an ATM instead. I've always been a bit crooked, plus I've been reading comics for 25 years so I suppose I actually think this kind of stuff through.

"Why do you say this to me when you know I will kill you for it?"

reply

They simply didn't have time. The film showed Andrew practicing and refining his powers everyday up until he snapped. They were still getting used to them, they weren't at the point of either committing or fighting crime. We're used to movies like Spider-man where the main character finds their powers then almost the next day they're running around the city in a bodysuit wrestling with super-villains.

And I disagree with you, man... I really don't think most people would go on a killing spree after getting telekinetic powers, no matter what might be going on in your head.

reply

By the way, you keep saying that only a few days passed between the three teenagers finding the whatever-it-is and the downtown Seattle showdown. You are 100% incorrect. Not to be a dick, but since you keep saying it, and saying it, and saying it, I figure you should know the truth. You obviously weren't paying much attention. There is a scene where the black kid says "we're best friends. We've been hanging out for like three weeks," etc. Then the black kid dies and there is a funeral. That's another 3-4 days, maybe longer. They could have done the pacing better, though, so I don't blame you for not noticing how much time had passed in the movie.

"Ass to ass. Ha ha ha ha. ASS TO ASS!"; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa5z77EI8y0

reply

Sports betting, roulette and craps would definitely be the best ways to do it. Just go to basketball and basketball games and manipulate the ball so it gets in the basket, gets over the wall or into gaps, or hell in hockey the amount the puck always ends up rattling near the net but doesn't go it it'd be easy to just push it in and have nobody come close to noticing.

Then again you could actually play pro sports. Even if you were a terrible athlete you could still be the greatest 3 point shooter in NBA history, easily. Then if you're at least 6'0 200 pounds you could be an NFL QB.

Or a golfer. Win every tournament at 19 years old, you'll be getting huge paychecks every year until you're like 60 without ever getting hurt.

_____________________________________________________________

Live and learn. At least we lived.

reply

Too bad none of them acquired telepathy because they'd done some real damage with it. Like in the new Harbinger comic Peter Stanchek used his telepathy to rob a drug store and made the clerk forget he ever saw him.

reply

Why didn't they use their powers to get rich?
Short Answer: Because not everyone thinks like you do.

reply

[deleted]

It seemed to me that the three lads in Chronicle weren't thinking about the future.
_______________

No *beep* I think that was pretty clear.

Why didn't they get rich? They weren't smart enough, weren't thinking about the future, and didn't figure out that they could or how to.

I don't think you could do it with golf, because TV analysis would so something weird going on; gambling yes, but dishonest, you're cheating people. Same with Bill Gates idea. Magic show on tour maybe.

reply

What they should do is play roulette in Vegas. Put like $10,000 on 00. But these guys are too young for Vegas.

That would've been a lot better than the dumb robberies Andrew was pulling (before he started robbing people I hoped his robberies would at least be a little more sophisticated). With Andrew's "finesse" he could've gotten the roulette ball to go where he wanted it to and convincingly enough to not be suspicious until after he/they made a decent amount of money. They could've figured out a way to get fake IDs and to maybe use disguises that weren't too drastic -- just good enough to make them look a little older.



reply

[deleted]

Well Andrew was trying to get cash for his mom, by mugging people, etc. My problem is if he was going to turn to crime why not think bigger and rob Fort Knox or something? But I find it hard to believe that none of these 3 kids had the sense to do anything good or productive with their powers (well Matt did at the very end when it was too late and he had lost 2 friends). Andrew could've been the next David Blaine and made a great living doing 'magic' in Vegas. Of course there probably could've been better ways to make tons of money quick. Like you said the powers probably wouldn't have been permanent or at least they shouldn't have assumed they'd be.

reply

They haven't had their abilities for very long. With another month maybe they would have thought up something. They got a power they don't understand so together to try to gain control and master their abilities. This isn't a comic where you just decide to put on a mask and fight crime. Even getting rich is down the line just because they were having fun together. Who needs money when you can do anything.

Don't need money for transportation when you can fly.
Levitate any supplies you need.
Impress people with just your powers as opposed to fancy clothes and cars.

reply

Flying during the day is pretty stupid. Someone is bound to see you. Then again, these guys seemed to live in the middle of nowhere.

reply

Flying during the day is pretty stupid. Someone is bound to see you. Then again, these guys seemed to live in the middle of nowhere.

reply

Another part of the stupidity of the story line. OK you have super powers. You're going to rob the 4 dumbasses smoking pot in the local park and a quickie mart? Or, are you going to smash the walls of a bank?

Amy: I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!

reply

Another part of the stupidity of the story line. OK you have super powers. You're going to rob the 4 dumbasses smoking pot in the local park and a quickie mart? Or, are you going to smash the walls of a bank?


Exactly. Not five minutes from my home a couple of years ago, a bunch of guys rammed an ATM with a construction vehicle. As far as I know, they were never caught. How much money did Andrew expect those street fools to have?

reply