It had all the elements, but...

Rating: 6/10 (23 December 2011)

It began as an entertaining movie with lovable and heartwarming characters, but it got sillier as it attempted to search for an ending. There were plenty of ways for the storyline to thread through, but the wrong path was chosen and after all that wonderful and playful built up, it fell flat on its face.
The most enjoyable aspect of the movie was the kids making the super 8 zombie film (I did it back in the late seventies). While all the madness was occurring around them, they persisted in trying to complete this film, utilizing the chaos. It was fun to see the shenanigans the kids got up to make such a film and what goes on behind the scenes of movie making is just like the grown-up world of filmmaking. The teenage love interest on the set was also a pure delight.
The other interesting aspect of the film was the distrust of the military, who mislead & jeopardized a peaceful town for their own interest. The same as today, but with the media taking on the role.
Production values where of the highest order, enhancing the visual story telling. It's just a shame that not too much thought went into the last act of the screenplay. But overall it was fun and worth munching on popcorn while watching it.