Super 8

The concept of "Super 8" is combining the elements of J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg. The trailer made you think it's like E.T. plus Cloverfield. Well, it's true. There is nothing new about "Super 8" but it brought us back to the good old classic times, it's funny, it's exciting, and it's amazing.

"Super 8" is another intriguing monster movie by J.J. Abrams. Yes, you really wanna know what it looks like but I'm not gonna tell you. The sad thing is it's not as intriguing as Cloverfield. But It's easy to ignore that problem because there is something better than being another Cloverfield. It feels like you are watching a good old classic movie. Great characters, Good old fashion score, and kids intrigued by the situation.

The story is really about the characters' zombie movie making and the family tragedy while there's a monster attacking their town. The monster is like the background or the subplot of this film. But the movie still got suspense. The movie is indeed beautiful and plenty of heart. The movie is just nostalgic stuff. It's not trying to be new. It just wants to show how J.J. Abrams is inspired by Steven Spielberg's movies.

There are some amazing scenes in this film. Example, the train collision was breathtaking. The movie sure has a lot of humor. It's like a relic to the old family movies. The CGI is good enough. The performances were good. The kids gave a lot of personality to their roles.

"Super 8" is a J.J. Abrams film with Spielberg's trademarks all over it. It's not a blockbuster that has a lot of action and less talking. This movie is made in old fashion style. Yep, this movie is nostalgic if you saw Spielberg's old movies and it's good to see another one like it.

Note: There is something interesting in the credits. You might wanna check it out.

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.

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.

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.