Super 8 - Super 80s

I pretty much knew what I was getting myself in for when I went to see Super 8. I went to the movie assuming I'd get an homage to Spielberg's kid adventure flicks from the late 70s and 80s. It would be fun, there would be some cool special effects, some great acting, and I'd go home.

And that's what it was. But what I didn't realise was how much I missed these movies, and how good it would be to see something in this vein again. It was so good to see a group of kids whose issues are simple - not unimportant, but simple. It was good to see a movie that isn't in any way about sex. It was good - oh my God it was good - to see a movie where the kids are innocents. They aren't jaded. They go outside. They have imaginations. They don't live in fear of their neighbours. Bliss!

So yes, I enjoyed it immensely. You know which camera shots are coming up. You know when it is time to tense up, and what the fat kid's going to say next. And that might be my only real criticism of the movie (wait, there's one more criticism. Later): it's too safe.

I want to speak about J.J. Abrams' direction. But first, I want to get my other criticism out of the way (it's relevant, I swear). At some point, I would have loved someone to slap Abrams on the back of the head and say "just because you have a truckload of money to spend, doesn't mean you need to spend it ALL!" Some sequences were just expensive filler. Specifically, a scene where the kids are running through the town as tanks and artillery are going off everywhere. Could someone please tell me what possible relevance that sequence had for the rest of the movie? Cos I just don't see it.

OK, rant over. J.J. Abrams must be at a time in his life where he's looking at cinema and saying: "There's nothing new out there. I miss the good old days." and along comes Mission Impossible. And then Star Trek. And then Super 8. This is from the guy who did Fringe and Lost and Alias (and, well, yes... Felicity). We know he has original thoughts in his head. So where are they? I won't make comment on specific plot developments, but in general, I knew what was going to happen from start to finish.

And I didn't care.

I didn't care because it was beautifully crafted, and perfectly cast. We laughed with delight as each character was introduced, and sighed when our protagonist first caught sight of Alice Dainard - played by Elle Fanning. It took me back to Elizabeth Shue and Kerri Green. Fanning plays Alice to perfection. Alice is innocent, if a little bruised around the soul, but with a generally happy attitude. Fanning shows us a little bit of Alice at a time, but by the end we know her very well.

Super 8 is an interesting movie to make a recommendation for. I'd say "definitely" to anyone my age, who grew up with the Goonies and Explorers and E.T. And I'd probably push younger audiences to take a look as well. It definitely stands up as a movie in its own right. Who knows, maybe they'll come out of it saying "wow, are there more movies like that out there?"

Why yes. Yes there are.

4.5/5