Super 8 (2011) ***

Rating: 7/10 (13 June 2011)

A group of kids from Ohio in 1979 are making a Super 8mm zombie movie when they witness a massive train wreck. They soon realize that the circumstances surrounding it are supernatural in nature. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that I enjoyed this science fiction thriller which functions much like an old 1950s monster movie. The film takes awhile before clicking together and making sense, and when it does it's a very rewarding ride. I appreciated that even though it utilizes heavy CG effects, these did not overpower the story. The characters are well-written, and we're able to invest some emotion in them. Even though the story depicts a savage and deadly giant monster (sort of echoing CLOVERFIELD), somehow we are able to feel sorry for it and sympathize with his goal as revealed later in the movie. Young actress Elle Fanning is the sister of Dakota Fanning (who I enjoyed in HIDE AND SEEK and WAR OF THE WORLDS), and it's plain to see that acting talent runs in their family. There didn't seem to be any real need to make the incidents occur in the retro period of the 1970s or to have them engulf a group of children filming their own home movie project, but as a fan of monster flicks and the '70s myself, this was an extra bonus for me to treasure. *** out of ****