Quality entertainment for everyone.

Rating: 8/10 (14 June 2011)

In a small town in Ohio, a group of kids are making a zombie flick using an 8mm camera. During their shooting, a train is derailed and something escapes. Odd things start happening around the town and the military arrive to cover up a government secret.
Told through the eyes of young kids, Super 8, which is also set in the late 70's, will instantly feel nostalgic. That's the one word I've been hearing thrown around when people describe this film. Spielberg is the producer, so people instantly make a connection between this film and his previous works. The underlying feeling is there, but this film has much more to offer than just nostalgia.
In the first few scenes, we know the main character has lost someone in his life. It's always hard to convey something has happened without any dialogue, this film tells us so much with so little. The main character is missing something from his life, will this adventure be able to fill that hole? Will he be able to let go of the things that are holding him back in the past? He has a crush on this cute girl, who just so happens to be in the film they are shooting. Their relationship is cute to watch grow, from awkwardness, to understanding, to needing. They are kids, so their relationship isn't based on lust, which most romantic comedies and blockbuster films will be about this year. Instead, it's an innocence that makes the relationship spark.
Abrams manages to invoke the same feelings we all had when we watched Spielberg films as kids, yet he is able to keep his own creative touch in tact. It never feels like a rip-off, or even a homage. Instead it feels like it belongs with those films, side by side. The mystery behind this film is what fuels the fire. Leading up to the release, all we know about it was that it was a monster flick of some kind. A companion piece to Abrams produced film Cloverfield maybe?
Elle Fanning, plays the young Alice, who is the object of Joe's affection. Joe is played by newcomer Joel Courtney. Both do a great job in their roles, Fanning more so, who I enjoy more than her famous sister, Dakota. I would have loved a bit more bickering and interaction between the kids though. The film is more of a family centric piece. The relationship between Joe and his father, the Deputy, is less than perfect. We are given so many answers at the beginning of the film and later on we are revealed the questions. A film that manages to ignite many mysteries that resolves them later is great in my book.
The climax of the film is a little less than stellar. It ends on a more family friendly note than what one might hope. Then again, this is "Spielberg" right? Super 8 is full of thrilling sequences and charming performances. It will grab your inner child (for those of us who grew up with Spielberg films) and get him/her cheering. Super 8, with some minor problems is one of the best films this year. Abrams is a talented guy, which we already knew from Star Trek. Here he shows us he attention to detail and how much he admires the craft.
Super 8 is indeed super and it gets an 8 from me.