Spielberg's tribute to Gen X nostalgia

Rating: 9/10 (27 June 2011)

The summer of '79. The movie got the songs, movies, fads, cars and decor right. The kids were our age (if you're a Gen-Xer like me). With a thrilling storyline and special effects, this movie is a throwback to early Spielberg hits like "Poltergeist", "E.T.", and "Back to the Future". A heart-warmer.
Like "Witness", this movie features children who are told not to tell what they've seen. Like "Minority Report" (another Spielberg great), the human spirit contends against all-powerful Science. This movie packs a lot into 112 minutes-- proving that a movie does not have to be long to be great.
Spielberg is among an elite few-- others being James Cameron and Ron Howard-- who can spellbind an audience year after year, and tell a good story and inject some humor in the process. "Kids having their own stereos-- it's a slippery slope". Nice 20-20 hindsight!