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Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is exactly the kind of horror movie you want to hate. It's a remake, it involves a child in peril, and it contains some (and I say "some") very nasty violence. Just watch--you'll have trouble hating it.

Guillermo del Toro's new collaborative effort with first-time director Troy Nixey is, simply put, horror done right. There's a lot here that can be found in any horror movie that comes out now, but this one succeeds for relying on tone and setting rather than blood and guts. The acting from all three leads is surprisingly good, and Nixey shines as well behind the camera.

However, at the heart of the film is a ballsy story co-written by del Toro that really keeps the film stable. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is originally based on a 1973 British TV movie that has been hailed as one of the scariest movies ever made. The remake features a new main character: Sally, a child, played by Bailee Madison. Sally moves into a new Gothic mansion with her father (Guy Pearce) and a new stepmother (Katie Holmes). There, she discovers a ventilation system where she hears breathy voices calling to play with her. At first, the voices are friendly. Then, they're vicious and violent.

The violence of the movie is one of the reasons why this movie succeeds so nicely. The first scene is grisly and is, without a doubt, the reason why Don't Be Afraid of the Dark earned its R-rating rather than its intended PG-13. There isn't constant violence. In fact, there isn't even that much of it. Most of it is bloodless, but all of it is enough to make us squeamish and afraid.

Another area in which the movie excels in that respect is its design. The mansion that Nixey and del Toro chose is gorgeous. The intense lighting, which Nixey noted as "inspired by Rembrandt" in the Q&A following the film, is moody and adds to the heavy tone of the movie. The house is just creepy on its own, but it becomes creepier thanks to the creature design. Unlike what the trailer tells you, the creatures are pretty tiny. What creeped me out about them was the loud, shrill screeches they let out. It'll give you chills. Keep a keen ear and listen for del Toro, as he voices a few of the creatures.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is a very fun and very creepy horror movie experience. Though not without its flaws, it has a strong story stabilized by good characters and a surprisingly dark ending, and it's got some good acting too. It's hard not to be absorbed in the mesmerizing light pools of the mansion, and it's even harder not to be entertained. As usual in del Toro films, darkness and unseen monsters reign, and as usual, it's pretty damn unnerving.

I remember when I was five years old. I remember my mother reading Harry Potter to me, the way her hands turned the pages, the way she placed her bookmark in the book when she thought I had fallen asleep. I remember wanting to be Harry Potter. I was Harry Potter twice for Halloween, as a matter of fact, wandless and only armed with jack-o-lantern shaped box for keeping candy. And now, almost at age 18, I have created a new memory of my own, that of sitting next to my mother, and now my brother, in a dark theater, sobbing together at the thought that it really is the end of my favorite series, Harry Potter.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the near-perfect finale to one of the most beloved series ever written. David Yates has created the first, and unfortunately only, classic of the Harry Potter film series in a spectacular and emotional thrill ride. Dark, brooding, and downright suspenseful, Harry Potter ends with an enormous bang, one whose reverberations will be felt for years to come.

The bang that this movie creates only begins with its fine actors. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have matured into real adult actors now. Once cute and dopey, the trio has now become truly magical at their profession. Though it's a spectacle to watch the chemistry between our three leads, they're overshadowed by an impossibly large supporting cast. Maggie Smith returns to give a sweet performance. Ralph Fiennes reprises his role as Voldemort and totally creeps us out. The real star of the show is, however, Alan Rickman. Finally, Rickman emerges from the depths of the great sets and shows his true acting chops as Snape. He's just fantastic to watch.

And the film is technically brilliant as well. The visual effects go heavy on the pyrotechnics, so why not throw in a little slow-motion while we're at it? And so David Yates does, but whereas most directors (other than Zack Snyder, that is) can't handle slow-motion, Yates does it perfectly. It's thrilling, and it's only aided by Eduardo Serra's cinematography. He's an expert at what he does: Serra loves playing with color, and it totally works in every way. Sometimes, the film is so drab looking that it almost becomes black-and-white. What Serra films is gorgeous. He's secured himself a nomination for Best Cinematography.

The film isn't without its flaws however. Steve Kloves' script is lacking as usual, placing far too much emphasis on action and not enough on the characters themselves. Humor is used improperly to lighten the otherwise moody atmosphere. That said, the way Kloves writes action, and the way Yates directs it, is marvelous.

While it can't help but feel as though there's a full half hour missing from the final cut, Yates and his team have made a brilliant film. I almost feel weird saying that a Harry Potter film is great. Mainstream films just shouldn't be this good, but thankfully, they still can be. Movie magic still does exist after all.

Unfortunately, no matter how many times we see these characters when we watch the movies or read the books again, they'll never be fully resurrected. It's the first time that matters the most. After that, it's never the same. Everything ends, unfortunately, and so does the Harry Potter series. I have grown so much with Harry Potter, but it's finally time to lay it to rest. Goodbye, Harry and crew. You'll be sorely missed.

Instead of presenting this as a normal review, I'll put it in the form of bullets. I just think it's more reader-friendly for this. It also helps to avoid plot details, and that's probably better if you want to go in with a blank slate.

1. If you like Steven Spielberg, you'll like this movie. J.J. Abrams has clearly created the movie as a homage to the classics that Spielberg has made. Echoes of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Jurassic Park are felt throughout the entire film. Super 8 directly borrows Jaws' style in that the viewer only gets brief glimpses at the monster for the first two thirds; it isn't until the last third that the viewer sees it in its entirety.

2. The acting. Elle Fanning is the highlight of a great cast of child actors. Fanning has proved herself once with Somewhere, but she ups the ante with Super 8. There's one great scene where she has to act as though she's acting in a movie filmed by the other children. She, along with the rest of them, nails it.

3. J.J. Abrams' script. The writing is one of the best things about Super 8. It's rich, fast, and, again, Spielbergian. Abrams' screenplay is delightful because it plays on the viewer's own childhood memories. It's basically one long nostalgia trip.

4. J.J. Abrams' direction. He basically becomes Steven Spielberg to make this movie, as seen in his use of constant Steadicam shots and visual restraint when it comes to the shots of the monster in the early parts of the movie.

5. The cinematography and color palette. Also reminiscent of 1970s blockbuster film is the visual look of the movie. The drowned-out colors are similar to that of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

6. The train sequence. The best scene in the movie is one involving a train crash. It's basically what you've already seen from the first trailer, but this time, it's from a different point-of-view. Watch this in a big theater. You're going to want to hear how great the sound editing is in this scene.

7. The monster. I'm not going to say anything other than that I very much enjoyed the way the monster looked.

8. The tone. Like The Goonies, Super 8 is a summer movie that's made to make you feel like a kid again. It's wonderful, at times whimsical and at other times frightening. It's exactly what one should want from a summer movie, but...

Reasons why not to see Super 8: 1. J.J. Abrams got too bogged down in becoming Steven Spielberg. The film is sometimes obnoxious in how much it wants to be Jaws. This ends up getting in the way of the film's great story, and keeps it from becoming a classic.

2. It's not perfect. Super 8 has pacing issues a lot of the time and will often involve characters and subplots that completely unnecessary. There are certain elements of the movie that could have absolutely been taken away without any repercussions.

Overall, Super 8 is worth seeing. Take the family out and have fun. See it in a big theater with a good sound system. It's a fun but unfortunately forgettable ride.