Super 8 Review: 3 1/2 Stars
A group of kids witness a terrible accident and cannot tell a single soul, for fear of repercussions, but as strange things start to take place in their small town, can they really ignore what they witness anymore and what exactly is the US Air Force hiding. Directed and written by JJ Abrams (Lost) with Steven Spielberg (E.T.) as an executive producer, Super 8 has all the makings of a great film, but is it this year’s “IT” film?
Super 8 is a worthy movie that people should go see, but I don’t think it is this summer’s blockbuster movie. The movie does have similar qualities to that of Spielberg’s early movies “E.T.” and “Close in Encounters of the Third Kind” with music that is eerily reminiscent to Abram’s “Lost”, which I think was meant to happen. It allows the audience to be able to connect with the young cast like in “E.T.” and can also appreciate the visual aspect from “Close Encounters.” The cinematography and play on scenes does remind me of “Lost” because we don’t necessarily see what is coming, but we don’t get glimpses behind the curtain.
This is truly a story that is based around its characters and their relationships and less around the big mystery, which is still an added bonus. The dialogue in this movie is superb; especially the one’s delivered by the young cast, while the action sequences of the film are surprisingly not overused in this day in age when explosions are usually around every corner.
The majority of this movie is centered on its young cast who all, but one are relatively newcomers. It is definitely strange to see a film depend on such a relatively new cast to carry the weight of an entire film of this magnitude, nonetheless the newcomers do It with ease and such clarity as if they been in the industry for all of their life. I think what I like most of this film, is that they portray kids as kids. How many films do you get to see children be children? It was refreshing to see an honest representation of them acting like themselves, without having a “glorified” or overtop version.
However, I do not want to minimalize their acting skills at all. They did handle the difficult scenes very well without having to exaggerate the moment. Joel Courtney, who plays the lead character Joe Lamb, does a tremendous job in his first lead playing a young boy who is still reeling from the loss of a loved one, while trying to navigate his rocky relationship with his father. Next, we have Elle Fanning (sister to Dakota Fanning) who plays Alice the some-what love interest role and only young female character in the movie Alice. We then have Riley Griffiths who plays Charles best friend to Joe and aspiring film director that has characters starring in his super 8 film that causes them to witness the accident which starts cause and effect for the rest of the film. As for the side characters we have Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) who plays Jack Lamb, Joe’s father who is the Deputy Sheriff of their small town and Ron Eldard who plays Louis, Alice’s father who seems to have history with the Deputy Sheriff that is later revealed in the movie. Lastly, we have Cary played by Ryan Lee who apparently has hobby of setting things on fire and likes to make homemade explosives.
Certainly this is a film that will draw out the masses and will make a sizeable income, but I don’t believe this is 2011 summer blockbuster. I still highly recommended seeing this film, not for the mystery and the suspense which it certainly does have, but for the dialogue and the great acting that is showcased by the cast who I believe we will be seeing a lot more in the near future. If you want a break from all of the 3D and the overly used CGI and just want a film that is about its characters and its plot line, then this is the movie for you.
Super 8 runs for approx. 112 minutes and is rated PG-13.
Originally posted on Affairs Magazine
