Wonderful film that focuses on character development rather than simply action

Rating: 8/10 (26 June 2011)

I'll keep it brief - I am not a huge fan of monster movies, but I caved in to seeing Super 8 and I absolutely fell in love with it. It was fun, witty, charming, suspenseful, and genuine, and as a potential film maker I found it great that Abrams included the depth in the characters as he did. I gave it an 8 out of 10 due to some slight inconsistencies which left me a little confused when I thought back to the plot after I had seen the movie, but I still found it fun and heartfelt. As I saw another reviewer say, I also felt as if the monster aspect was a subplot and the actual focus was on the development of the kids and their home lives and the struggles of growing up in their situation while the world (literally) crumbled around them. Great performances from the kids especially, was surprised to see that it was the first acting gig ever for Joel Courtney and Riley Griffiths -- they were great! Elle Fanning was spectacular and I am looking forward to seeing all of them grow up and do more films. Yes, the ending was corny, but I felt it was somewhat appropriate for an otherwise serious movie. To those that feel the need to nitpick and whine about a fun summer movie such as this, I feel sorry for your inability to sit back and enjoy a fun flick! Stand By Me meets Transformers meets ET meets The Sandlot meets Cloverfield. Give Super 8 a shot if you're looking for a good time!