Super 8

Super 8 was incredible! Absolutely fantastic and a great load of fun to watch! It was like The Goonies on crack combined with Cloverfield, E.T., a bit of Stand By Me, and even some Ocean’s 11.  I know that sounds like a lot of movies to fit into one hour and 52 minutes, but it never feels like too much.

Perhaps it’s because of the Disney stereotyped characteristic of lacking a father, but I found it strange that this film involves the absence of a mother instead. Many times in movies with child protagonists the parents are absent much of the film. This is not much different in Super 8, but the fathers are involved in some of the drama amongst the children.

J.J. Abrams, true to his favorite advertising scheme, drew me in with his cliff hanging and vague trailers. I didn’t know what the movie was going to be about and I loved not knowing what was coming. The movie starts off a bit slow, but that does not hold it back at all. Once the train crash seen in trailers occurs the movie is action, mystery, and thrills for the rest of the time. Abrams at first plays the same trick that Steven Spielberg used in Jaws by not revealing the monster until the opportune time. We don’t know what the thing terrorizing this town is or why it is there, but we begin to learn the reasons slowly throughout the film.

The screenplay was extraordinary with believable dialogue and great character development. The characters took Abrams’ script and made it their own. The six main young actors and actresses were astonishing! I couldn’t help but root for each and every one of them. Each character has his or her specialty, which instantly made me think of movies like Ocean’s 11 and The Italian Job. There was an explosives expert (Cary), a ringleader (Charles), and a character that is seemingly overlooked and walked all over, but becomes a leader (Joe Lamb); each one playing off of the others’ strengths. The performances from these young actors were just incredible. I loved following Joel Courtney (playing Joe Lamb) as he and his crew discovered what the monster was and why it was here. The mystery of what the monster looked like was reminiscent of Cloverfield and worked just as well in this movie.

I absolutely loved the way it was filmed. A movie named after the old super 8 cameras looked similar to the way super 8 film actually looks when projected. The film had a grainy look to it and added to the feel of the movie. Following the children throughout the film drew me into the story even more because I love feeling like I’m in movies when I’m watching them. I think having child protagonists works the best in this regard for me because I feel that I am growing up with them. They are put into tough situations and are forced to grow up during the film. The actors play their parts perfectly and I couldn’t see any other actors playing these parts. Kyle Chandler, probably most well known from Friday Night Lights on NBC, gives a wonderful performance as Joe’s father.

The movie even subtly references movie director greats like George A. Romero in the movie within the movie that Joe and friends are working on: a zombie movie involving a chemical plant by the name of Romero. Abrams has a way of enhancing his scripts by adding subtle references to other films and directors that normally go unnoticed. I only found a couple more in this film, but I’m sure there are many more.

This movie works as a coming of age story, a monster story, and even as a story of acceptance. The ending was a little too quick for me, but in general I loved everything else about Super 8 making it a definite must see thriller and will provide entertainment over and over again.

8.5/10