Not great but not bad...until the climax

Rating: 6/10 (5 June 2011)

This director's 'Star Trek' made for great entertainment and a movie (not film) that I absolutely loved. Sorry, but I can't say the same for this one. The first hour or so sets up some very intriguing major dramatic questions and really pique the audience's interest. Unfortunately the payoffs to most of the setups are a bit weak, except for the resolution to the big question, and that payoff is flat out puny, bordering on ridiculous. In recent interviews Abrams has proudly cited the films that inspired this one and the evidence as to which ones they are is in full display very soon after Joe, our young protagonist (a stellar performance by newcomer Joel Courtney)is introduced and continue throughout.
Joe's relationship with Alice (an astonishing Elle Fanning) is the ONE thing in this movie that rings absolutely true. They are wonderful together.
Other than that the rest of the movie is a series of rehashed set pieces that do not engage us so much emotionally but rather ask us to sit and take in a tonally uneven and bland mash-up of what has come before and was done better. Not good, not bad, but if you're looking for an exciting time at the movies this summer, look elsewhere.