Super 8 Review
Written by: alex1176
Geez, where do begin? I haven't written a movie review for this site in many months. But let me just start out by saying that "Super 8" is great. This is the third film from tv writer/producer J.J. Abrams and certainly his best yet. It's a creature feature with a premise not unlike something from "The X-Files" (or his own "Cloverfield" movie). But most importantly, the picture is a straight out love letter to its producer Steven Spielberg. "Super 8" is a cousin of sorts to "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial". It evokes the same kind of feel with its visual flourishes and story which involves kids in Smalltown, U.S.A. At times, it actually does feel like a lost movie made in 1984.
The film is set during the summer of 1979 and involves a group of pre-teens who are shooting an 8MM zombie movie for a film festival. Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) is the make-up effects guy who has suffered a great loss in the death of his mother. His father is the local sheriff and is also suffering. The movie opens with the aftermath of the funeral home. But then it jumps ahead by four months and that's when we see Joe trying to film the flick with his four other buddies. One of them happens to be a girl named Alice (Elle Fanning) who likes Joe. And Joe happens to like her. Their relationship provides one of the movie's most touching scenes. And the performance by Elle (Dakota's younger sister) is a great one. She looks just like a young Drew Barrymore and I'm sure that's exactly what J.J. Abrams was wanting.
The movie's plot jumpstarts when the kids decide to shoot a scene at midnight. The director of the group, Charles, sees an opportunity for production value when a train appears. He sets up the action when suddenly the train derails causing massive explosions. Luckily, no one is killed, but they discover a small van that caused the derailment. The driver happens to be their middle school science instructor. He is severly injured and advises them not to mention the accident to anyone. And then he pulls a gun and tells them to run as a group of soliders arrive. The very next day, the U.S. Army makes their presence known to the small town. Shortly after, strange happenings start to occur. Lost dogs, loud noises and stripped car engines create panic and concern. Even murders!
"Super 8" isn't a horror movie like "Cloverfield". It's more of a character drama about human relationships. Yes, there is a monster, but its on-screen appearnce doesn't happen until late in the movie. The action is there, but it's not overstated. Computer-effects are minmal. Same goes for the gore. Abrams' movie is a throwback to the movies I grew up with as a kid. It is a treat for my generation of moviegoers as well as newcomers to this type of genre. I almost wept as I remembered my own childhood. The country has changed, for the worst, some would say. But this film evokes the innocence of the era I was raised in. It is exceptionally well-made. And I could watch it again in a second.