Super 8

Look, I'm biased. When I first saw the movie in 2011 while I was still just in middle school, I was enamored. Now, 8 years later, as a film student inspired by this movie, I can honestly say that it still holds up. A lot of the love I have for this movie is purely fueled by nostalgia, but even aside from that, the thrills and heartstring tugs this movie delivers still stand up to the test of time so far. This movie is always going to mean the world to me, and I hope someone out there sees this and gives it a shot. It's so criminally underrated and under-appreciated.

This film is an interesting mystery sci-fi that revolves around a small group of teenagers with a passion for cinema. They have a common project for a film, but end up witnessing a major rail disaster while filming. It is immediately clear that the accident is very unusual, and that the military's interest in what happened is far from normal. Set in the late Seventies, a remarkable decade for sci-fi thanks to the fascination of aliens and technology in general, it is a film of familiar contours where mystery is well used.

The film is skillfully directed by J.J.Abrams, and presents a good story, with young teens taking the lead. The film strives to portray teenagers, the way they relate and even the family environment and the relationships between families, which are important for a very small community like this small town. I don't think sentimentality is bad, I think that in the right measure it brings depth to the film.

Elle Fanning and Joel Courtney are the main actors in the film, which gives a lot of scope for young actors to show what they are worth, and these two young actors have definitely done a good job here. Riley Griffiths is good, but not so good. In the adult cast, Kyle Chandler and Ron Eldard deserve an especially positive mention, the latter giving life to a character that is rather unfriendly to the audience.

Technically, the film invests a lot in the environment, in creating tension. It is not that kind of film loaded with thunderous effects, but one where what is suggested matters more than what we see. Honestly, I think it's more interesting than most big-budget sci-fi films, which are basically shot on the green screen. This does not mean that it was not used here or that there are no effects: the film has good special and visual effects, a competent CGI and good sound, but it knows how to use these resources without exaggeration. The good soundtrack also deserves a mention.

J. J. Abrams' Super 8 isn't just a sci-fi thriller-it's a bittersweet time capsule of childhood, loss, and the fleeting magic of innocence. Set in 1979, the film follows a group of kids making a zombie movie on their Super 8 camera, only to witness a catastrophic train crash that unleashes something far beyond their understanding. But beneath the lens flare and monster mystery lies something far more poignant: a story about broken families, grief, and the inevitable passage of time.

At its heart is Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), a boy still reeling from the loss of his mother, and his complicated relationship with his emotionally distant father. The film beautifully captures that aching, unspoken void between them, where words fail but silence speaks volumes. Elle Fanning delivers a breathtaking performance as Alice, a girl with her own painful burdens, and their shared moments feel raw and real-two young souls quietly searching for connection in a world that feels too big and too cruel.

While the sci-fi spectacle unfolds in thrilling ways, it never overshadows the movie's core theme: growing up means learning how to say goodbye. Whether it's to a parent, to childhood dreams, or to the belief that life will always be simple, Super 8 reminds us that some things-like an old film reel-can only be cherished as memories.

Super 8 is more than just a Spielbergian homage-it's a deeply human story wrapped in a monster movie. The alien may be terrifying, but the real fear lies in the things we can't control: loss, change, and the painful beauty of growing up.

Overtly nostalgic movie about a bunch of kids stumbling on a secret weapon blunder while making a zombie flick. Yes, it is an obvious hommage to Spielberg, that much have been said.

The kids are remarkable, everyone of them. In fact, as soon as the movie moves away from them, it suffers, althought Kyle Chandler, reliable, does a good job with non-verbal acting. The one kid I liked most was the "directing" one, reacting with slight disgust at the thought that his own sister (she must have been ugly when younger) could actually be attractive to others, but all of them had their quirps that made them likeable in their own ways.

When compared with contemporary Stephen King's "It" adaptation, which is similar in many ways, it is less lurid and graphic, and adults are less of a threat, but the nostalgia factor is doubled. I especially liked the middle-class settings and realities, the small Ohio town. My favorite moment was when they actually showed the full movie the kids made ("The Case") during the end credits, which makes it the most agreable end credits I ever witnessed.

Alas, not all was perfect and the main CGI creature is somewhat of a wet petard, and some characters were less than convincing, like the stoner guy. It is however a movie with a heart. Or maybe it's me who's getting too old.

As an homage to the Spielberg films of the 80's, this movie succeeds. As a piece of original entertainment? Nothing happening, folks. Now, if you're a kid and have never seen The Goonies, Jaws, ET, War of the Worlds, and Cloverfield, you may think this film is absolutely wonderful. And judged through the lens of cinema history, it may well be looked upon as a culmination of all that came before.

Let's just hope that the future is filled with something in rare supply: originality.

It's not that I wasn't entertained, it's just that I expected something more.

And I suppose that's another problem with getting older. There aren't as many surprises left in the world.