It's Stand by Me meets Alien in what could very well be the blockbuster hit of the summer and year. A fascinating storyline gives way to plenty of action and suspense in this Steven Spielberg gem, which stars many fresh faces and a few familiar ones.
Meet Joe (Joel Courtney). He's a kid struggling to endure the death of his mother and all but absent deputy father. He does have his friends, however, and they provide plenty of distraction. Specifically, Charlie (Riley Griffiths), who is a budding film-maker. Charlie's zombie flick stars a few of his friends. We've got Alice (Elle Fanning) who is seemingly everyone's crush. There's Martin (Gabriel Basso) who has a nervous stomach to say the least. And Cary (Ryan Lee), who is fascinated with anything that blows up. Stay tuned young Cary because while the crew has snuck out at midnight for a little film session by the railroad, they are witness to an explosion of gargantuan proportions. A truck apparently purposely derails the train, unleashing something into this small Ohio town. No one knows the "what's", "where's" or "why's", but this thing has set off a chain reaction that involves pets fleeing the town, people disappearing left and right amid a whole host of unexplainable technological issues. Plus, the Air Force is swarming the place, but mum's the word. Yadayadayada...the kids piece it all together on their way to another win for J.J. Abrams (writer/director) and Spielberg.
It's great. I'll go with 4.5 Stars and inching toward five with more consideration. It combines a uniquely fascinating storyline with fresh faces that deliver a suspenseful, sci-fi mystery story in a fashion that rivals pure entertainment. The characters make this a definite winner as well. The kids were great! The connection they shared on-screen reminded me of my middle-school days, providing me with a nice bond to the kids and story. Their bond genuinely contributed to both the development of the characters themselves and the overall plot as well. From Joe to Cary, these were impressive performances and fun stuff.
Yes, as much as I enjoyed Super 8, I've still got a few issues with it. There were just a few things that I would've liked to have seen done differently...well, not differently as much as developed more thoroughly. I would have loved to seen Joe's relationship with his dad played out and developed a little more. The two aren't close. That much is clear. We get that, but a further development of that relationship could have added depth to an already great story. Also, the creature...hmm...I would've liked to have gotten to know the creature better. It was certainly treated with effective mystery throughout the first 90-minutes of the film's 112 minutes. That mystery and intrigue component...well, I loved it! However, once we were in a position to finally get to know more...we really didn't get a very complete picture.
See this one and see it BIG! It's solid from start to finish. Mystery...abound! Action...abound! Relationship issues from father/son to friend/friend to a budding cute romance between the kids...all abound! Just don't get antsy and leave when you see 'The End'--you don't want to miss Charlie's completed film that rolls with the credits! This is a good one...Enjoy!
True...OUT!
Thanks for the recommendation. I loved the movie (I think). It was the first time I went into a movie not knowing anything about it (I hadn't read your brilliant review yet) and no expectations. The young actors were wonderful, but you are right about the relationship between the son/dad and audience/monster. Great way to spend the afternoon.
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