There have been many an alien movie in cinema's history, some of the most memorable coming from one man; Steven Spielberg. So it's no surprise that he pulls his producing weight behind Super 8 and takes it's writer-director JJ Abrams under his tutelage. Not that Abrams would need the extra guidance, he's come into his own writing scripts like Forever Young, creating critically acclaimed shows like Alias, Lost and Fringe and has directed and or wrote giant franchise money makers like MI:3 and Star Trek.
Abrams is this generation's Spielberg, he shares many a thing with the baseball-capped one: A religious attention to storytelling and its timeless rules, a visual panache that immerses you into the story and a seemingly preternatural ability to craft a film that stays true to the director's own vision while simultaneously delivering on what the crowd wants to see.
One major difference between these two Czars of Celluloid though is that while Spielberg is a classic storyteller, with several violent films under his belt, his film's violence never seems unexpected and it's used to serve the story and the world it takes place in. Abrams on the other hand is fan-boy at heart, someone that has developed a trademark of dealing his minor characters random violent deaths (being sucked into a planetary mining engine with accompanying wilhelm scream, to being squished by an alien in front of our eyes) Where others might cut away as the violence hits, Abrams wants to stay for several frames more. Must be a generational thing I guess, because after all, Spielberg is the guy who digitally removed guns from a scene in E.T for it's re-release to make it more family friendly. I have a feeling like Abrams would have probably added some sort of creature in the background.
Now for the actual film itself;
The story takes place in Ohio, 1979. While trying to film a short Super 8 movie (What people used to shoot their viral videos with way back when, for those who didn't know….crazy kids), a group of friends witness an impressive train crash that unleashes a series of strange happenings and bring the U.S military snooping around their small town.
What is the strange cargo? I don't think i'd be spoiling anything here if I say it's a creature of some sort. Like the last Abrams sponsored creature feature Cloverfield, and any successful monster movie worth its weight in guts, you never get a full on look at the creature until the end, building up suspense expertly while delivering genuine heart pounding moments that don't feel like cheap 'Boo!' surprises. The monster? It's aight. No doubt people will be left disappointed. If you were expecting something as terrifying looking as Clover the Cloverfield monster, you are out of luck. Scaryness has been toned down in order to let us empathize with the creature, as I mention below....
Abrams tells a story oozing with heart and no doubt autobiographical nostalgia (The little fat kid Charles is supposed to be Abrams). He follows an unofficial rule I have that most people in hollywood don't seem to understand. When dealing with issues in a film which asks us to suspend our disbelief (Aliens, Monsters, Space stuff), it's best to cast unknown actors. Nothing would bring a magical late 70's joy ride to a grinding halt than seeing Cameron Diaz drag her bones across the screen.
It is perfectly casted, Joel Courtney as Joe Lamb, the deputy's kid who just lost his mother, has a natural presence as do all the kids in the film, who are, after all, the real stars and make Super 8 extremely enjoyable to watch. Then there's Elle Fanning and her character Alice Dainard, who shares a tragic connection with Joe and gives an amazingly natural performance. Which begs the question, how many more young, amazingly talented acting freaks does the Fanning family have locked up in their cellar waiting to be released?
Over all, there's a natural chemistry there that other films could only dream of having, the kids act like, well kids. The story captures the spirit of pre-teen innocence, wonder and heartbreak perfectly, like so many Super 8 home movies gathering dust in families' basements. The storyline is pretty by the book, with scenes that make us ask that inevitable question: Who are the real monsters; It, or us? Us being the U.S military, (and me being a die hard conspiracist, you know what my answer would be)
The movie is not entirely perfect by any means, it has several standard hollywood heart to heart moments that seem more cliche than genuine, and an ending that I saw twenty minutes away. By the time the credits start rolling, you'll either feel content and satisfied or be left scratching your head asking "Was that it?" (Speaking of credits, stay for them, just do it.) It is an enjoyable film though that you won't regret, not for the explosions or monsters but for the human characters themselves…And I guess some pretty wicked explosions
SUPER 8 a film for geeked out fanboys and standard moviegoers alike. I give it a SUPER 8/10
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