Super 8 (B or 3/4 stars)
'Super 8' is 2 things ... clearly. 1) it's an homage - by director J.J. Abrams (Lost, Star Trek) - to producer, Steven Spielberg; invoking a 'kind' of film (Close Encounters, E.T.), a time & place (1979), as well as making us feel like kids again. And 2) it's also a way to show how children (and child directors) started making "movies" with the Super 8 camera. This movie isn't perfect, but it's enjoyable, nevertheless.
The film follows 6 young teens who are working on a film project: a zombie flick which requires them to sneak out of their homes & meet at a train station to film a crucial scene. There, they can make their Super 8 without parental interference. The 6 teens include: Joe (Joel Courtney), the film's make-up specialist; Alice (Elle Fanning), their actress; Charles (Riley Griffiths), their chubby, fast-talking director; Cary (Ryan Lee, providing comedic relief), their pyromaniac specialist; Preston (Zach Mills), their lighting guy; & Martin (Gabriel Bosso), their actor. Things are going smoothly; especially for Joe, who has a crush on the pretty, wispy Alice. But soon into their filming, disaster strikes. The kids witness a catastrophic train crash (it derails after hitting a conspicuously-placed truck), a mysterious creature evacuates said train, & before long, all of kids start noticing strange happenings going on in their Ohio town. At the same time that they investigate the creepy phenomenon that's wreaking havoc on their town, Joe & Alice also find themselves thrust into the middle of a heartrending family drama involving their 2 dads. And Joe's father (Kyle Chandler, of Friday Night Lights) happens to be the local deputy who is trying to uncover the truth of the town's acts of sabotage.
Though aspects of 'Super 8' irked me (narrative issues towards the end), on the whole, this is what I'd call a "really cool movie". J.J. Abrams brings classic Spielberg sentimentality & stylistic flourishes to this film. First & foremost, this film is a success because it captures 'childhood'. The camararderie btwn. the kids is unforced, humorous & heartfelt. They act as ordinary 14-15 yr. olds would (recalling Goonies). I loved their banter. I laughed, a lot. Their relationships (and multiple inter-relationships) are the heart & soul of 'Super 8'. Furthermore, the contentious relationship btwn. Joe & his police deputy father, and Alice & her ne'er-do-well father, strikes a chord, as well. I only wish that I gave a rat's a** about the supernatural/what's terrorizing the town aspect of the plot. It is a large subplot. And too much is left unexplained or un-shown for me to be invested in the crash 'em, bash 'em action sequences that come with said supernatural element. Now, I thought the action was executed VERY well. There are some fun jolts/scares. But any care I had was for those 6 kids. Villain-schmillain.
Technically speaking, 'Super 8' is beautifully crafted. The pacing/editing is great (just as Abrams' Star Trek was in 2009). 110 minutes goes by quite quickly (sans a few draggy expository scenes in the middle). And I love how the action sequences are not all mayhem & frenzy -- there's intent. And the effects never overpower the human story going on simultaneously (because the human story is so strong). I also really dug the atmosphere created by Abrams; thanks mostly to the use of music (Michael Giacchino's nostalgic themes), 70's clothes, sets, & use of technology. The only technique I wasn't wild about was the overuse of blue lens flares; something that works great in an outer space setting, as in Star Trek. And not that it's a problem, but as my brother Adam pointed out, "wow, there are an awful lot of close-ups in that movie". Very astute observation, Adam. {wink}.
But my favorite aspects of the film are the performances by newcomer Joel Courtney & Elle Fanning. I don't know where they found Courtney, but his very look epitomizes the kind of charming, wide-eyed, intuitive American boy. We pull for him (given his back story). And his sweet rapport with Fanning goes a long way to making the film successful. I have now seen Elle Fanning in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (which I loved), Somewhere (which I did not), and this. I've never had an issue with her older sister, Dakota Fanning. I think she's a good young actress. But to me, Elle has more of a 'something'; creating some interesting, mercurial performances. And I think she may go on to be a more successful actress than her sis (recalling screen legends Olivia de Havilland & Joan Fontaine).
So overall, I recommend 'Super 8' because it hearkens back to a time when you escaped the heat, sat in an air-conditioned theater, munched on popcorn, & 'felt' something when you watched a summer blockbuster. It casts a spell for a little while. And the distinction is made clearer when measuring it up against something as ostentatious, aggressive, & enormously stupid as, say, the 2nd 'Transformers' movie. That's not to say that this film is perfect. There are plot holes. The child story trumps the supernatural one so much so that there is a slight unevenness to the proceedings. Because of that, my emotional involvement in the 'entire' story went in & out. The film also lacks an organic quality; patched together like a quilt of many former sci-fi adventurers. But this film is quick, exciting, enjoyable, well-acted, well-crafted, & suffused with nostalgia (though, some of it is strained at the end, which diminishes the overall "aw"/awe effect). Just think, such cinema 'greats' as Spielberg & George Lucas probably used a Super 8 when testing out their early directorial skills. How neat is that?
The film follows 6 young teens who are working on a film project: a zombie flick which requires them to sneak out of their homes & meet at a train station to film a crucial scene. There, they can make their Super 8 without parental interference. The 6 teens include: Joe (Joel Courtney), the film's make-up specialist; Alice (Elle Fanning), their actress; Charles (Riley Griffiths), their chubby, fast-talking director; Cary (Ryan Lee, providing comedic relief), their pyromaniac specialist; Preston (Zach Mills), their lighting guy; & Martin (Gabriel Bosso), their actor. Things are going smoothly; especially for Joe, who has a crush on the pretty, wispy Alice. But soon into their filming, disaster strikes. The kids witness a catastrophic train crash (it derails after hitting a conspicuously-placed truck), a mysterious creature evacuates said train, & before long, all of kids start noticing strange happenings going on in their Ohio town. At the same time that they investigate the creepy phenomenon that's wreaking havoc on their town, Joe & Alice also find themselves thrust into the middle of a heartrending family drama involving their 2 dads. And Joe's father (Kyle Chandler, of Friday Night Lights) happens to be the local deputy who is trying to uncover the truth of the town's acts of sabotage.
Though aspects of 'Super 8' irked me (narrative issues towards the end), on the whole, this is what I'd call a "really cool movie". J.J. Abrams brings classic Spielberg sentimentality & stylistic flourishes to this film. First & foremost, this film is a success because it captures 'childhood'. The camararderie btwn. the kids is unforced, humorous & heartfelt. They act as ordinary 14-15 yr. olds would (recalling Goonies). I loved their banter. I laughed, a lot. Their relationships (and multiple inter-relationships) are the heart & soul of 'Super 8'. Furthermore, the contentious relationship btwn. Joe & his police deputy father, and Alice & her ne'er-do-well father, strikes a chord, as well. I only wish that I gave a rat's a** about the supernatural/what's terrorizing the town aspect of the plot. It is a large subplot. And too much is left unexplained or un-shown for me to be invested in the crash 'em, bash 'em action sequences that come with said supernatural element. Now, I thought the action was executed VERY well. There are some fun jolts/scares. But any care I had was for those 6 kids. Villain-schmillain.
Technically speaking, 'Super 8' is beautifully crafted. The pacing/editing is great (just as Abrams' Star Trek was in 2009). 110 minutes goes by quite quickly (sans a few draggy expository scenes in the middle). And I love how the action sequences are not all mayhem & frenzy -- there's intent. And the effects never overpower the human story going on simultaneously (because the human story is so strong). I also really dug the atmosphere created by Abrams; thanks mostly to the use of music (Michael Giacchino's nostalgic themes), 70's clothes, sets, & use of technology. The only technique I wasn't wild about was the overuse of blue lens flares; something that works great in an outer space setting, as in Star Trek. And not that it's a problem, but as my brother Adam pointed out, "wow, there are an awful lot of close-ups in that movie". Very astute observation, Adam. {wink}.
But my favorite aspects of the film are the performances by newcomer Joel Courtney & Elle Fanning. I don't know where they found Courtney, but his very look epitomizes the kind of charming, wide-eyed, intuitive American boy. We pull for him (given his back story). And his sweet rapport with Fanning goes a long way to making the film successful. I have now seen Elle Fanning in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (which I loved), Somewhere (which I did not), and this. I've never had an issue with her older sister, Dakota Fanning. I think she's a good young actress. But to me, Elle has more of a 'something'; creating some interesting, mercurial performances. And I think she may go on to be a more successful actress than her sis (recalling screen legends Olivia de Havilland & Joan Fontaine).
So overall, I recommend 'Super 8' because it hearkens back to a time when you escaped the heat, sat in an air-conditioned theater, munched on popcorn, & 'felt' something when you watched a summer blockbuster. It casts a spell for a little while. And the distinction is made clearer when measuring it up against something as ostentatious, aggressive, & enormously stupid as, say, the 2nd 'Transformers' movie. That's not to say that this film is perfect. There are plot holes. The child story trumps the supernatural one so much so that there is a slight unevenness to the proceedings. Because of that, my emotional involvement in the 'entire' story went in & out. The film also lacks an organic quality; patched together like a quilt of many former sci-fi adventurers. But this film is quick, exciting, enjoyable, well-acted, well-crafted, & suffused with nostalgia (though, some of it is strained at the end, which diminishes the overall "aw"/awe effect). Just think, such cinema 'greats' as Spielberg & George Lucas probably used a Super 8 when testing out their early directorial skills. How neat is that?