The new J.J. Abrams movie, Super 8, is in some ways similar to the 2008 mysterious monster flick, Cloverfield, that he produced. Based on trailers alone, it would seem that both of them are movies about some terrible and unstoppable creature wreaking havoc on humans. To some extent, Super 8 is just that. However, Abrams is behind the camera this time and it's nowhere near as shaky. That goes both literally and figuratively. Not only is the filming done more traditionally for Super 8, but the movie is generally more solid. A lot of people were upset with Cloverfield's lack of information but Super 8 doesn't experience that problem. Everything is eventually explained. It's not the most amazing tale or anything that's going to keep you guessing the whole movie, but it moves the plot along just fine.
Super 8 is about more than just a monster though. What really makes the movie, in my eyes, are the cast of characters consisting heavily of children. In Super 8, the kids are trying to make a zombie movie for a film festival. They're filming near the train tracks when the train crashes, derails, and basically explodes. It's at this point that the monster is released and shit starts to go down. It soon becomes apparent that there's a lot that we don't know about the incident. The rest of the movie explains exactly what's going on, all the while developing the relationships of these children to each other, their parents, and the incident. The movie unfolds predictably in some parts (the intimate "boy-girl" relationship parts) and somewhat interestingly in others (mostly with the monster). I've got no real complaints when it comes to the plot. The only one I could think of would spoil it for you and I've already come to terms with why it's no big deal.
The performances were a high point. I actually liked the kids more than the adults in the movie. Their relationships with each other were fleshed out and meaningful. The kids who weren't supposed to be important just weren't, so I never got the chance to hate them, which is good. Much of their dialogue consisted of things like "shut up" and just saying "shit" when something was going wrong. I actually loved that about this movie. It seemed more realistic than the kids being all clever like they had writers or something. I'd tell you the actors but I don't know them and you wouldn't care. I think the biggest "name" in the movie is Elle Fanning and that's just because she's Dakota's little sister. Using unknowns works for this movie because none of the actors have to be all that fantastic to keep things moving.
I know what you're all wondering though. "What was the monster? Was it an alien? Was it a Transformer? Was it ET?" Well I'm not going to tell you. I'm not going to tell you because I expect you to see this eventually. I will say that the monster was pretty frightening. It's visceral and agile and terrifying in all the ways you'll want it to be. It look pretty good too, nice effects and CG and all that good stuff. I've really got no complaints. I didn't fall in love with this movie or anything but I can't say I regret paying for it. I love comic book superhero movies but it's refreshing to see a big summer blockbuster that's not based on 50-year-old stories.
I rate this movie... INFINITE THUMBS UP.
That could go on forever. Chyeah!
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