I had high hopes for this movie. I mean a collaboration between Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams? I'm in no matter what they're selling. I was also wary that my personal hype would cloud my judgement. But I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed. This film felt like Goonies, ET, and Cloverfield all wrapped together in a perfect package. It was suspenseful, heartwarming, nostalgic (in the best way), and hilarious. Being Abrams first film that was not a franchise (see: MI:3 & Star Trek) studios took a big risk with this film, but it definitely paid of both critically and commercially. (Most films these days really make their money overseas, but Super 8 made over double its budget back with little help from foreign sales.)
The story follows Joe Lamb and his friends as they attempt to make a zombie movie for a small film festival. One night while filming near some train tracks (for "production value") the kids witness a massive train wreck which they miraculously survive (They have to right? Otherwise there's no movie!). The train wreck seems like an accident, except to Joe who saw a truck drive head-on into the train. Soon Joe's small town is swarming with military and government officials who don't waste time in covering up the train crash. Something is missing from the train and it doesn't appear to be friendly.
Abrams is a huge fan of mystery and, for the most part, that mystery serves him well in this film. Like Jaws, the threat of the creature is scarier than the creature itself. But, the thing that gives the film its most suspenseful moments, also robs the film of its deserved emotional climax. At the end of the film we're supposed feel empathy for the creature, but we've spent so little time with it that we don't really feel anything. At the end of E.T. when he tells Elliot, "I'll be right here!" we're on the verge of tears. Joe's moment with the creature at the end of Super 8 feels contrived and simplistic. But it can be forgiven since the rest of the film is so well done.
The acting, for me, is what really makes the movie special. Anytime you work with younger actors you run the risk of, very quickly, wearing out your welcome. Making kids the stars of your movie only ups the stakes. Abrams did a brilliant job of casting mostly unknown kid actors. Instead of being irritating and juvenile, the kids are endearing and funny. Abrams walks a thin line and succeeds. My only qualm (expressed clearly by a friend of mine) was the amount of foul language used by the kids. I don't like swears as a general rule and younger kids using them doesn't help anything. I think it's difficult, but better, to find other ways of expressing frustration.
Overall, I loved this movie. It's the perfect film for anyone who grew up watching Spielberg's Amblin-esque films or who was an amateur filmmaker themselves.
4/5
1 comment:
The only unique thing about this film were the kids with completely a unrealistic vocabulary that made high-school bullies flinch. The story was completely unoriginal and I grew bored of the movie after the first twenty minutes and played "lets guess the ending." This was, simply put, Goonies and E.T. thrown in a blender, add a little spicy language, and violent steroids for the alien and poof: Super Eight. Abrams is an excellent director and did well; however, you can only do so much with a shoddy story-line. I'd give this maybe 2 if I was in a good mood.
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