Think E.T. cross-pollinated with Stand by Me, throw in some Iron Giant and you've got Super 8. It's a gang of kids coming of age journey with a malevolent military as the bad guy, a persecuted alien, who it would be a stretch to say is a good guy- it eats people, and bewildering, damaged parents. Produced by Stephen Spielberg, it's directed and written by JJ Abrams- doing his level best to channel Spielberg.
It would be easy for a movie with this kind of pedigree to fall into the trap of being derivative and not doing anything anywhere as well as the films it would one day like to grow up to be. Does Super 8? No. It's damn fine entertainment.
The plot is easy, a gang of boys with a girl- who is, in fact, Dakota Fannings little sister in real life, come up with a Zombie horror movie that they film on a Super 8 camera. A train crashes while they are filming- a train carrying something not of this world. People and things start vanishing from the little town and the military zings in and takes things over.
The kids are all solid, led by Joel Courteny, all have their little idiosyncrasies, the fat kid's the moviemaker, the kid with braces has apenchant for fashioning m-80s out of sparklers. And we care, at least to some extent, about all of them
More than anything, what makes this movie such a success is that it's pacing it's absolutely flawless. It really is quite amazing how the story never has the slightest sag, forcing the viewer to sit with back teeth floating in urine because he doesn't dare dash to the restroom lest he might miss something. That's gotta be Mr. Spielberg's influence - that classic Spielberg technique of never wasting a single frame. To keep that kind of pacing, it's inherent that the film will lose dramatic depth. About my only disappointment here was that there was a wonderful opportunity to explore a well-set up relationship between Deputy lamb(Kyle Chandler) and Louis Dainard(Ron Eldard).
Dainard caused the accidental death of Lamb's wife as the film opens, a wound that has clearly torn both men to pieces, leaving their kids tossed in their father's misplaced wrath. This relationship and it's toll was well set-up and had legs to really punch up the depth here. When there is a single scene together, as the men combine forces to rescue their kids, it's pretty powerful. I needed more.
But I get it, this is one of Spielberg's throwbacks like E.T. and Raiders. It's even set in 1979 and atmospherically, it's nostalgic as hell. I'm sure many middl age viewers will identify with these kids and their adventures. Ever detail of that era comes to life.
Good stuff. Unique and well done enough to be remembered in its own right, but, nevertheless, not quite up there with E.T. and the like.
A tip- watch the closing credits, where you get to see the Zombie film the kids were making. You'll be glad you did.
Rating:
Plot: 30
Character: 25
Presentation: 31
Total: 86
