Super 8 Reviews

Curious questions were asked about what the outcome and the features within Super 8 were going to be after a unique and eerie theatrical trailer. It looked like it could deliver something that is perhaps ridiculously-ingenious so to speak, like a film similar to District 9. So for this reason, it became one of the most anticipating films of 2011! However, despite the exceedingly high expectations, it turned out something that was still at least enjoyable to watch, but quite frankly, it was a disappointment and there are reasons for this.


Lets face it, how many times have we seen films featuring a specific neighbourhood that becomes invaded by mysterious extra terrestrial creatures? It just didn't express anything different that we hadn't seen before in any film, so it felt a lot like a recent attempt at War Of The Worlds. The aliens just had no personality at all and it was just this blood-thirsty monster that causes chaos and mayhem with no background story of how and why it ended up there. However, despite that Super 8 does have its flaws, it does have its strong points. The most obvious one: the effects. It was beautifully filmed that did feature interesting action scenes that weren't explosion after explosion, like those atrocious Transformers films.


Super 8 features an ensemble cast of young actors and actresses that have some resemblances with the kids, now grown adults from 80s adventure-comedy film The Goonies. Joel Courtney takes the leading role as protagonist Joe Lamb. The strongest key point about the character of Joe is that he resembles the innocence, soft-hearted nature and perhaps the physical appearance of Elliott in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Elle Fanning, the younger sister of famous child actor Dakota Fanning rises to fame as Alice. After Dakota's appearance in a similar film to this: War Of The Worlds, Elle makes her mark and gives a great performance in another Spielberg-involved film.


The rest of the cast included other young actors who gave good performances in their respective roles. Riley Griffiths was brilliant as Charles Kaznyk! Charles is the young man who seeks to make a low-budget zombie movie on Super 8 film. He is at times arrogant and quite bossy especially when wanting to make his movie. Seeing young kids making a low-budget movie bought back similarities to Son Of Rambow, although it was a different style of movie. Having said that, it could have turned out something really special if it was a film just about kids making a movie instead of mixing it with War Of The Worlds-like terrorism from extra-terrestrials. It's like the film began with one story and then became totally different and the beginning story involving the movie felt abandoned. Despite that, the young actors still gave solid performances and really hope to see them all in other films in the future.


After being one of the directors, co-creaters, producers, writers and executive producers of a few episodes from TV show Lost and then going on to directing the surprising breakthrough Star Trek, he goes on to direct something that is his kind of filmmaking style. During the production process of Super 8, there were speculations that this was in fact either a prequel or sequel to Cloverfield, a film that Abrams himself produced. However, Super 8 tried to be a film on its own, but it really wasn't by copying the ideas from other films and mixing them together. Having said that the dialogue idea wasn't all that great, it was still magnificently filmed. You could very easily identify that Steven Spielberg was involved in this one due to the background similarities of his three science fiction films E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and, of course War Of The Worlds. Super 8 lacked the warmth and the drama between the characters, the courage and perhaps even the intense suspense.


Overall, Super 8 isn't a bad film at all, it was just a tad bit of a disappointment because the trailer looked promising, so therefore I was expecting more from it. It is still an enjoyable film to watch. It was trying to re-live the brilliance and pure beauty of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and the intense thrills of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, but that simply cannot happen to them. Both J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg can do better, and hope that the films that they do in the future will make up for this one. Abrams and Super 8 will battle with Duncan Jones and Source Code for most intense and exhilarating film of 2011, but I'd rather stick with the latter.

After a US Airforce cargo train crashes just outside a small town called Lillian, the local inhabitants lead by a group of curious young kids begin to think the Airforce is hiding something about what was actually on the train.

Leading up to the release of JJ Abrams 2008 Monster movie Cloverfield, we were treated as fans to a genius marketing campaign and a brilliant new way of telling a story. Cloverfield went on to be a huge success for Abrams, and then last summer there was another trailer put on the web, same genius marketing strategy. Make a trailer, where all we see is a train derailing and dents being made into one of the train cars while we can clearly read “US Airforce” on the side of it. It was simple, yet affective because it captivated the people watching the trailer. It was quite obvious it would be another film similar and style to Cloverfield, all the while trying to use the faults of Cloverfield to their advantage.

Cloverfields documentary film style, shown from the perspective of a handycam was both the biggest reason it was successful but also made it hard to see a lot of the action from a straight non shaky camera view. With Super 8 we are treated to the delight of a full blown monster flick with great explosions and great camera angles so we get to see closeups of the monster as well as feel the tension throughout the entire crisis more. With Cloverfield you felt only what the four people with the handy cam felt, with Super 8 you got to feel what the entire town folk of Lillian felt.

It also felt as though Super 8 tried to present more of a back-story for the monster, more of a clearly defined back-story during the film. The Cloverfield back-story has had numerous rumours as to what the monster was exactly and what its motives were. With Super 8 the audience was treated to the old camera footage of the scientists working and experimenting on this creature. The suspense was built up when the camera was knocked over and the kids went to get the film developed. It seemed like just when Super 8 was out of things to keep you interested something else happened to bring you right back to being very much interested and aware of what exactly is happening.

All of the actors seemed better in Super 8 then those featured in Cloverfield. Kyle Chandler has gotten critical praise across the board for his performance in Friday Night Lights, and he does good with what he was given here, but he could have been given just a tad bit more dialogue and emotional scenes to showcase his talent on the big screen. The kids in the film lead by Elle Fanning are the best part of the film. Their curiosity as budding young filmmakers is exactly the way any kid would be; with a few things they do being a bit over the top and outrageous but like Charles says in the moving “It adds production value”

Overall it seems to me atleast that Super 8 is a slightly better film then Cloverfield was back in 2008. Super 8 is a good film, well written, amazing special affects and brilliant actors portraying these characters who are curious yet still very much afraid of what the cargo could be.

The movie is good, if we compare with the bombs that are coming to the cinema lately, but the problem is that Super 8 was meant to be an homage to Spielberg, and it seems that only served for that. A blend of all scenes of the biggest hits of the magician of the cinema, and this, unfortunately, only served to remind us of all the amazing things that the filmmaker presented over the years, however by the end of the projection, I got the feeling that what I had just seen was good, but it had a lack of ET's quality. Actually what I liked most was to see the return of a science fiction movie starring children, because ultimately it was restricted only to fantasy. Well, but the similarities stop there. In the end, it was worthy for the memories, not a film that will be in people's minds for a long time, unlike the stories that Spielberg could tell us so well in the past.

"I've got property damage, I've got theft. I've got 9 people missing now. There are things happening around here that I can't explain."

Since mid-2010, an aura of mystery has shrouded J.J. Abrams' Super 8 like a dense fog. From its initial teaser trailer over a year before its release to a series of elliptical trailers and its substantial but mysterious marketing campaign, movie-goers have been wondering exactly what it is. In short, 2011's Super 8 is a nostalgia-dipped, Steven Spielberg-indebted science fiction thriller and a coming of age story; representing a homage to producer Spielberg and a valentine for those who have had a passion for filmmaking since childhood. Super 8 is a rare type of summertime release in this day and age - it conveys a clever, original story (it is not a sequel, prequel, spin-off, reboot or literature adaptation) without the necessity for a third dimension. There are state-of-the-art special effects and a few big action sequences, sure, but neither elements are gratuitous since, unlike most summer blockbusters, Super 8 is more interested in characters and storytelling than big bangs. In writing and directing this film, Abrams remembered a simple law from Filmmaking 101 that is commonly ignored by contemporary popcorn movie peddlers: that action and mayhem only has weight if the viewers can find themselves caring about the people in the midst of the chaos.

Named after a type of filming format that child filmmakers used before the advent of digital video cameras and Final Cut Pro, Super 8 concerns the misadventures of six young tweens who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Set in 1979, young Joe Lamb (Courtney) is in mourning following the death of his mother, leaving him with his distant police officer father (Chandler). With school over and the summer in full swing, Joe occupies himself by helping best friend Charles (Griffiths) make a zombie movie starring Joe's crush Alice (Fanning). While filming late one night in secret, the gang of kids watch as a train spectacularly derails in front of them. Afterwards, a survivor of the crash informs the gang to tell nobody of what they saw else they be killed. Within days, their peaceful little town is suddenly overturned by a heavy military presence, inexplicable happenings, and disappearing people. Not to mention, the boys' Super 8 camera captured sight of something monstrous escaping the train following the derailment.

As those who paid attention to the marketing should be aware of, Super 8 is the brainchild of J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg, and it therefore plays out like a sweeping love letter to the generation raised on Spielberg's crowning achievements. Essentially Stand by Me meets The Goonies on a Cloverfield stage, Abrams additionally infused the picture with a semi-autographical element, recalling the days when he - like most future filmmakers - borrowed his parents' video camera and made a home movie. Super 8 is not merely a film built on a basis of set-pieces and special effects, but a look back at an era marked by bike rides, small town sensibilities and working class concerns - a time when kids went outside and were adventurous, rather than staying indoors to watch movies or play video games all day. However, there are a few Hollywood touches that are hard to swallow, such as someone still being alive after driving head-on into a freight train. The ending, too, seems abrupt and rushed; not being able to wrap up everything with the same care and intelligence that preceded it.

Abrams once again demonstrates here what an excellent craftsman he is; bestowing the film with a number of moments of nail-biting intensity and tension. In fact, some scenes could almost classify the film as horror. Super 8 may be characterised by the children at the centre of the narrative, but this is not a film specifically designed for small kids, who will likely find the film too scarifying. Abrams chose to replace the gentler tone of Spielberg's earlier cinematic oeuvre with something edgier. Abrams also chose to abide by the Jaws approach, keeping the mysterious monster out of view for the majority of the runtime, building suspense by holding back and only allowing the audience quick, fleeting glimpses of certain body parts. Not to mention, most action movies these days succumb to the awful habit of "shaky-cam/rapid-cutting", letting details and comprehension fall by the wayside. However, Abrams always ensured the camera was impeccably placed, allowing viewers to fully comprehend the scope. The train crash alone lasts for two or three minutes, and it will keep you in the edge of your seat with your mouth agape. This master craftsmanship extends to the quieter moments as well, which are engaging and interesting.

The film takes place in 1979, and the period was vibrantly recreated with astonishing detail through immaculate production values. Era-specific cars, clothing, and songs (including tunes such as My Sharona by The Knack and other songs by Blondie, Paul McCartney, etc) all help to sell the time period and vibe. Super 8 anchors fantasy in a real-world setting, and thankfully Abrams infused the real-world setting with relatable characters and emotional undercurrents to help us care about everything happening on-screen. The bond between all the young boys, particular that of Joe and Charles, rings with accuracy and depth, and the relationship that emerges between Joe and Alice is sublime as they spend time together despite a feud between their fathers. Also captured winningly is the dynamic between all the boys - their conversations, playful bantering and occasional cursing will probably remind viewers of their own childhood. Not to mention, the boys' joy and elation in no-budget home moviemaking (an autobiographical element from the childhoods of both Abrams and Spielberg) is affectionately depicted, and the way they continue to shoot their movie pays off in a big way during the not-to-be-missed closing credits.

The performances were of primary importance in making the film work, and, thankfully, Abrams populated Super 8 with a pitch-perfect ensemble of child actors, all of whom present natural performances of profound depth. Joel Courtney (in his professional debut) is a real find, as his portrayal of Joe is mature and completely believable. The most experienced member of the cast here is Elle Fanning as Alice, who is phenomenal; emerging from the shadow of her older sister with this superbly nuanced piece of acting. For every moment she's on-screen, Fanning's face paints a complete, poignant picture of who her character is and what she's going through. For a child actress who was a mere 12 years old during filming, Elle is remarkable. Equally valuable is Riley Griffiths who's utterly convincing as Charles (the one whom this reviewer could identify with the most). Every member of the group is a joy to watch, and each possess their own unique quirk to prevent them from being an anonymous part of an ensemble. Ryan Lee is a great source of comic relief playing the explosion-loving pyromaniac, while Gabriel Basso impresses mightily as the main actor of the boys' movie. Also first-rate is Kyle Chandler, who simultaneously supplies authority and vulnerability. Simply put, everyone did a marvellous job here, affording Super 8 the realism that the material demanded.

Commandeering his third feature film as director (after Mission: Impossible III and Star Trek), J.J. Abrams exudes passion and talent as a filmmaker, and with Super 8 he delivers solid storytelling, multidimensional characters and creativity - all within the confines of a $50 million 2-D summer blockbuster. In many ways, this is a perfect summer movie: original, earnest, innovative and creative, not to mention it has all the requisite fireworks and pizzazz but you do not need to halt your brain functions in order to enjoy the show.

8.7/10

Fairly good movie overall. I kept waiting for that something special within the film to make it all worth it, and it never quite achieved it. A movie definitely worth seeing once, but otherwise that's the only time you'll need to see it. To me, twas a disappointment. I hope it is different for some of you!