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[Super 8]
Plot:In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.
Cast:
Kyle Chandler,
Elle Fanning,
Ron Eldard,
Noah Emmerich,
Gabriel Basso,
Joel Courtney,
Riley Griffiths,
Ryan Lee,
Zach Mills,
AJ Michalka.
My Thoughts:A cute, cuddly version of "Cloverfield".
Review:After JJ Abrams brought us the brilliant "Cloverfield" three years ago, now...he's back, and with a new monster flick. "Super 8". A movie which tells the tale of a group of suburban kids in 1979, who while shooting a zombie film on their Super 8 camera..capture a massive train derailment. That's then followed by the kids running into a dying professor, who seems to be keeping a deadly secret. Pretty soon, the town starts being afflicted with mysterious disappearances of animals, electrical equipment, and people.
While the kids don't know it yet...a mysterious creature was on the train, en route to being transported. Now that it's escaped...what does it want? And why? But more importantly...is it friend or foe? "Super 8" on the surface really harkens back to 80's scifi films, and yes movies like "E.T." Where a group of kids, including the stereotypical tomboy girl...stumble upon a big discovery accidentally, and it leads them on a big adventure. This movie tries to modernize itself more, while at the same time...remaining true to 80's people, fashions, and other things.
But while the movie is a fun watch, and acts as a good mystery...it does push the cliche marker also. The films villains are the U.S. military. Who know about the creature, and refuse to give out any information to the town's deputy, who just so happens to be the lead kids dad. These military guys are extreme scifi movie cliches. They're hush, hush on everything...and are willing to break civilian rights laws of all sorts to keep things quiet. But Abrams kind of tweaks things a bit by making the lead military guy the big evil of the movie, and his "people" just the "following orders" types.
In other words...they manage to not come off as big douchebags like the lead army guy does. As for the kids, well...they've got their own stuff to deal with. And they want no part of this mystery monster thing. But as it begins to affect their families, and they then discover footage of the creature escaping it's metallic prison, was caught on their camera...they soon realize they don't really have a choice but to jump into Scooby Doo mode, and aid in solving this great mystery. Which is what makes "Super 8" such a fun movie.
The characters keep things entertaining, and the monster gets it's moments in the spotlight also...but is written off as more of a mysterious footnote. Being the center of everyone's attention, but at the same time...not dominating the whole movie. Which is where this film differs greatly from "Cloverfield". It also differs because the monster in "Super 8" is not a vicious/killing machine type. In fact, there's a whole backstory to the creature which kind of aids in exactly what it's intentions are. And it's behavior late in the movie, versus it's behaviors early in the film. You don't get to see the monster too much though, until act 3.
And as usual, it's lightning quick, and is a huge fan of the grab and snatch of random quick-e-mart employees. Something that every monster movie these days has. That moment where the creature snatches some random person off into the darkness, with them screaming at the top of their lungs. "Super 8" has that obligatory scene as well. Although it's much better in the actual movie, as opposed to the trailer. Not a ton of violence in "Super 8" either. "Cloverfield" wasn't hyper-violent...but compared to that film, "Super 8" is like "The Smurfs". I don't think one drop of blood was spilled in this movie.
Atleast on camera that is. And anyone hoping for a Hud part 2 scene, where the monster chews up some poor bastard, and spits them out, no dice. Sorry guys. But if you prepare yourself for a scifi/monster/adventure movie...you'll like "Super 8" as much as I did. However, if you're hoping for something as hard-nosed as "Cloverfield". Or something even more harsh, then you might wanna take in "Scream 4" this weekend instead. Or better yet, "X-MEN:First Class".
"Super 8" is one of those rare movies that manages to entertaining a mature audience with a well-written story, likeable characters, and a cool mystery. Albeit the ending, and the revelations about the monster are about as creative, new, and fresh as a wet paper bag...the movie still manages to be fun and worth the time and money. And in the end...that's all that matters.
Positives:Good story, likeable characters, interesting monster, and high entertainment value.
Negatives:The attempted comedy in parts falls flat, and the revelations about the monster, it's purpose, the military, etc...were all cliche as hell.
Overall:Three stars out of four.
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