Chick 1 says:
Is JJ Abrams the new Steven Spielberg? Possibly. He is certainly an outstanding storyteller. He can come up with fantastic concepts (Lost, Alias). He can take us on heart-pounding adventures (Mission Impossible 3) that still resonate emotionally (Star Trek). And in the tradition of Spielberg, all his great characters have daddy issues. (He even used that as an episode title.) So Super 8 is poised to be this generations E.T. Did it succeed? The jury’s still out.
The Basics: In 1979, a group of young teens accidentally capture the crash of a U.S. Air Force train on film while shooting a zombie flick. In the aftermath of the crash, bizarre events and missing person cases spread like a plague around the small town while the military takes over without offering any answers or help.
What I Liked: Man, I love JJ Abrams! He really is an amazing director. From the very first frame we are given important information about the story in an entertaining and beautiful way. In the very first scene, we’re handed a load of emotions (there’s even a little fight, apparently) but most of the time the camera stays on our young star, recording his reaction to what’s happening. The actual events are incidental. And that’s really all we need to know; that this movie is about what’s going on inside this teen.
All the major elements work well here. Abrams frames every shot beautifully; really is a work of art. He still throws in his signature lens flare but considering we’re following a bunch of amateur filmmakers from the 70s it fits the mood and he doesn’t go overboard as he has in the past. The brilliant Michael Giacchino does his thing, making a current score timeless while practically channelling John Williams in his E.T. days. The art direction and set design is flawless. This feels like a movie shot in 1979 and that may account for some of the emotional response I had to this movie. Those of us who lived through that era (I was a kid about the same age in 1979.) will connect with the storyline simply because of nostalgia.
Finally, the cast and their dialogue are spot on. It’s a risk, making your six main characters under age 15. But all the kids are a blast. They deliver the funny moments, talking over each other in the chaotic way teens do and handle the more poignant moments as well, especially the two leads. The still-baby-faced Joel Courtney, at the wise old age of 15, carries the movie ably, although he is helped greatly by the rest of the cast, most notably by Kyle Chandler as his dad. And it will come as no surprise that Elle Fanning hands in a fine performance as well, often showing us glimpses of an old soul behind her young eyes. (And yes, she is Dakota’s baby sister.)
What I Didn’t Like: It’s tricky; building up a monster and finally showing it to you. Abrams knows himself, having talked about the power of mystery here. Even the Smoke Monster from Lost came to an uneven resolution, depending on your reaction to that finale. Other directors have struggled with this problem as well, particularly Shyamalan in Signs. (Shut up! I liked that movie!) It’s just that it’s often disappointing when the big reveal finally comes and that’s the case with Super 8. I don’t think it’s a problem of monster design. I thought the look of the alien was fine. (Sorry if you think that’s a spoiler but you really should have guessed that from the very first teaser trailer.) And I find that problem interesting, especially considering that in E.T. we saw the alien very early on. He wasn’t even CG but a puppet. But we connected with him emotionally and I think that is the real issue here. You can see the filmmakers trying to establish that connection, talking about “psychic connections” and such. But we as the audience aren’t allowed to make that connection ourselves. We aren’t even allowed to see that some of the characters, who say they have that connection, really do. That breaks the first rule of cinema; show – don’t tell. Stop trying to tell us what the monster feels and show us! And that is why the third act doesn’t quite live up to the hype.
Bottom Line: I never thought I would use the phrases sweet spirited and scary to describe the same movie but those two ideas neatly wrap up my feelings about Super 8. Abrams manages a three base hit, giving us a lot of laughter, a fair share of scares and thrills, and just the right amount of tears. Not quite a home run, but still a fantastic play!
Useful write ups. Thank you.
online casino neteller deposit online casino bonus no adult online casino pennsylvania
With thanks. Lots of tips.
new 2021 online casino popular online casinos instant pay out online casino
Evergone loves what you guys are upp too. Thiss sort oof lever work andd reporting!
Keep upp thhe terrific works ghys I’ve included yyou gys
too our blogroll.
You made your point!
die besten online casinos Г¶sterreich https://casinonair.com/ohio-online-casinos/ malibu casino online
Nicely put. Thank you.
mo online casino sites https://mapcasino.info/nfl-betting/ instant payout casino online
Nicely put, Appreciate it!
best canadian online casinos https://hotgamblingguide.org/online-casinos-in-canada/# captain cooks casino canada
You’ve made your point!
biggest casino in canada https://hotgamblingguide.org/online-casinos-in-canada/# casino en ligne canada
Excellent facts. Thank you.
new online casino nz no deposit best online casino real money hahama online casino in thailand
Nicely put. Regards!
rivers casino online pa online real money casino online casino websites for sale
Nicely put. Thank you!
gta 5 online casino car this week online casino real money no deposit payid online casino
Cheers, Wonderful information.
online casino sign up bonus casino online casino online city casino
Wow all kinds of excellent facts!
lucky chance online casino real money online casino no deposit bonus codes best real cash online casino
Incredible loads of valuable material!
apk judi casino online casino games online for real money net bet online casino
Very good information. With thanks.
best international casino online online casino play for real money casino 1995 online
This is nicely expressed. .
bahraini online casinos online casino online casino free spins no wager
This is nicely put. .
new uk online casino casino online real money zitobox online casino
Awesome posts. Regards!
365 bet online casino online games casino new michigan casinos online
You said that very well!
online sweep coin casino no deposit bonus online casino gta 5 online scope out casino
You made your point.
forum casino online online casino games real money calientemx casino online
Fantastic data. With thanks.
slotsmillion online casino review casino online casino royale 1967 online
Terrific content, Kudos!
online casino slots australia best online casinos vegas online casino free spins
Nicely put. Cheers!
juwa casino online 777 guia rules us online casinos riveredge casino online
Really a good deal of fantastic data.
sign up bonus casino online casino online usa thebes casino online
Appreciate it, A good amount of material.
apple pay casinos online casino online casino betfair online casino
Regards! A lot of information!
money back online casino online casino games for real money online casino real money deposit
You’ve made your position extremely clearly..
online casinos in mexico casino online casino agen casino online resmi
Incredible a lot of great material!
king johnnie online casino online casino free spins caesars palace online casino pennsylvania
Reliable info. Thanks a lot!
australia online casino list best online casino online casino with gcash
Amazing all kinds of great advice!
funrize online casino top online casinos online casino with german license
Fantastic stuff, Thank you!
parx online casino online casino usa online real gambling casinos
Awesome information, Thanks.
online casino that pays out instantly real money casino online online casino startup
Incredible plenty of fantastic information.
online casinos belgie us online casinos best online casinos dominican republic
Nicely put. Thanks!
online casino payout through paypal online casino games for real money w9 casino online
You said it nicely..
online casino vegas real money real money online casino online casino usa free spins no deposit
Regards! I value this.
online real casino canada real money online casino no deposit bonus codes online casino rtp
You have made your point!
new online casino nj casino online real money maryland live online social casino
Awesome content, Kudos.
bet online casino no deposit bonus codes real online casino online casino in korea
Great advice. Thank you.
mi online casino real money online casino free spins play casino online free
Great postings. With thanks!
online casino quebec casino online best credit card online casino
Superb tips. Regards!
spin casino canada casino en ligne canada rocket play casino canada
You actually mentioned that fantastically!