A trailer and poster have been released for the upcoming super hero film Chronicle.

Now I’ve certainly been doling out my share of hate for the recent rash of ‘found-footage’ films – movies that are made to seem like they were assembled from footage from various non-scripted sources – but this one looks different.

First, the most clear difference is that the visuals are actually easy on the eye.

The most annoying aspect of other found-footage films is the constant graininess.

That pretense has been done away with here, and while some may cry “What about the realism?!” I’ll cry, “My eyeballs thank you!”

Yes, there is still some ‘shaky-cam,’ but from what I can make out from the trailer it doesn’t seem too drastic.

Also, it’s not a horror film. It’s a psychological super hero film which asks real questions, and looks like it has a real plot with dynamic characters. Unless I’ve totally missed the mark, I believe this is the first major release, found-footage film which doesn’t rely on startles, scares, and monsters half-hidden in the shadows to tell its story.

The synopsis which accompanied the trailer is thus:

Three high school students make an incredible discovery, leading to their developing uncanny powers beyond their understanding. As they learn to control their abilities and use them to their advantage, their lives start to spin out of control, and their darker sides begin to take over.

Chronicle, which stars Dane DeHaan (Jack and Diane), Michael B. Jordan (Red Tails), Michael Kelly (Man of Steel), Ashley Hinshaw (Cherry) and Alex Russell (Bait) was written by Max Landis (Good Time Gang) and directed by Josh Trank (The Kill Point).

It his theaters February 3, 2012.