JJ Abrams 'phones home' a winner

Rating: 7/10 (29 August 2012)

JJ Abrams holds school on how to properly "rip off" a genre. You just feel the electricity of E.T. running through the kids, the neighborhoods, and right on through to yourself.
Aside from a few seemingly needless plot holes, this movie works. Everything works, from the core plot (small shift-shaping cubes that that can form into anything) to the seamless effects, to the nothing-short-of-brilliant acting by the child actors.
Fasten your seat belts with regard to the sprouting acting career of 14 year old Elle Fanning. This young lady was born to the profession. Her moving, and at the same time disturbing performance in 'Phoebe in Wonderland' at age 8 blew my mind. One of my favorite scenes in this film is when Elle turns from a human being into a ghoul in one single shot. At the top of the shot she is simply wearing face paint in a closeup. When prompted, she turns her head down, her eyes up... and without even changing expressions transforms into a scary monster. Chilling. You go Elle!