SUPER 8rated PG13
ART--->***
HEART->****
MIND-->**
FUN--->****
It's 1979, and a group of middle-schoolers get together over the summer to help finish their friend's no-budget zombie movie. While the kids are filming a pivotal scene at the old rail station, they witness a massive train crash and run for their lives as explosions and debris rain down. Suddenly, a very large Something escapes out of one of the cars. Soon, townspeople start to go missing. Then pet dogs. Then... well, you'll just have to wait for the film to develop.
An epic tale set in a Midwest town, SUPER 8 feels natural, lived-in, and instantly recognizable to anyone who experienced that wonderful era when you could go off on a bike ride with your friends and be gone for hours without any adult supervision. If it wasn't for the obviously modern visual effects, I could almost swear they mothballed it back in 1980 and just decided to release it this weekend. It really evokes the spirit of the time, and you can just sit back and enjoy what it was like when every detail of your life wasn't so regulated. But soon you'll be back on the edge of your seat as the mysterious Something wreaks havoc and the military moves in with questionable motives and tactics.
Director J.J. Abrams knocks it out of the park with SUPER 8, a loving homage to Steven Spielberg (on board here as producer), and a great old-fashioned monster flick that reminds us why we go to movies in the first place. It has all the Spielberg "tells": Push-ins for closeups, Anamorphic lens flares, Sweeping boom shots. Even composer Michael Giacchino does his best to emulate John Williams' unmistakable style. (Plus, check out the final release poster, illustrated by legendary artist (and 80's movie icon) Drew Struzan!)
The entire story is carried by a group of young unknowns (Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning in particular really stand out), one of the reasons that makes it such a refreshing film. The cast also includes Kyle Chandler (from TV's "Friday Night Lights") who delivers a solid performance as the town deputy, and Ron Eldard, as a tortured father.
SUPER 8 has some great scares, with the right amount of tension to keep you engaged. When you watch this film, you are into it. It actually matters to you. And that's a good thing.
Why?
Because you care about the characters. Because their actions and reactions are believable. Because everything feels natural and true. The stakes are high, but each person is given worth and value; their individuality is embraced, not stifled. And it brings back a childlike awe and wonder that is almost completely missing from movies nowadays.
That is why J.J. Abrams is on the short list of the very best storytellers in Hollywood:
He gets it.
SUPER 8 is...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
(not for little kids)
P.S.
There is unfortunate amount of foul language in the film, a lot of it from the kids themselves. And among the adults there is some smoking and drinking, but it is certainly not glamorized. I hope that doesn't stop you from having a great time at the movies, but if it does, at least you have been warned. (Go see it anyway :-)
e
An epic tale set in a Midwest town, SUPER 8 feels natural, lived-in, and instantly recognizable to anyone who experienced that wonderful era when you could go off on a bike ride with your friends and be gone for hours without any adult supervision. If it wasn't for the obviously modern visual effects, I could almost swear they mothballed it back in 1980 and just decided to release it this weekend. It really evokes the spirit of the time, and you can just sit back and enjoy what it was like when every detail of your life wasn't so regulated. But soon you'll be back on the edge of your seat as the mysterious Something wreaks havoc and the military moves in with questionable motives and tactics.
Director J.J. Abrams knocks it out of the park with SUPER 8, a loving homage to Steven Spielberg (on board here as producer), and a great old-fashioned monster flick that reminds us why we go to movies in the first place. It has all the Spielberg "tells": Push-ins for closeups, Anamorphic lens flares, Sweeping boom shots. Even composer Michael Giacchino does his best to emulate John Williams' unmistakable style. (Plus, check out the final release poster, illustrated by legendary artist (and 80's movie icon) Drew Struzan!)
The entire story is carried by a group of young unknowns (Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning in particular really stand out), one of the reasons that makes it such a refreshing film. The cast also includes Kyle Chandler (from TV's "Friday Night Lights") who delivers a solid performance as the town deputy, and Ron Eldard, as a tortured father.
SUPER 8 has some great scares, with the right amount of tension to keep you engaged. When you watch this film, you are into it. It actually matters to you. And that's a good thing.
Why?
Because you care about the characters. Because their actions and reactions are believable. Because everything feels natural and true. The stakes are high, but each person is given worth and value; their individuality is embraced, not stifled. And it brings back a childlike awe and wonder that is almost completely missing from movies nowadays.
That is why J.J. Abrams is on the short list of the very best storytellers in Hollywood:
He gets it.
SUPER 8 is...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
(not for little kids)
P.S.
There is unfortunate amount of foul language in the film, a lot of it from the kids themselves. And among the adults there is some smoking and drinking, but it is certainly not glamorized. I hope that doesn't stop you from having a great time at the movies, but if it does, at least you have been warned. (Go see it anyway :-)
e
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