A Heartfelt and Effective Combination of Spielberg Magic and Abrams Flair

Rating: 10/10 (14 August 2017)

The amazing thing about JJ Abrams is that his tastes are always right on. He knows what to say and how to say it. Super 8 is very much it's own story despite the fact that it pays homage to a Spielberg classic: ET - the Extra Terrestrial.
Don't listen to the haters who say JJ can't come up with original ideas. The truth is he can and he does. I felt great sympathy for the main character from the beginning, a very different kind of connection than the audience has with Elliot in ET. Joe Lamb is a 14 year old boy coping with his mother's tragic death caused by the incompetence of a drunk. He copes with it by spending time with his friends as they make a super 8 movie they wish to enter into a local film festival. Charles and the other kids witness a train crash while filming at a station, and afterwards we are in for a hell of a ride.
The story ends up being very poignant when the creature looks into Joe's mind and sees that children do not hold prejudice of adults, and this aspect is why I give this movie a 10 out of 10. Bright, solid, and massive. It reminds us that we as adults should strive for this more, and the two fathers of the main characters end up making amends with one another. Thank you JJ for yet another memorable cinematic experience.
Rating: 10