Review of Super 8 (2011) by Stevenf — 29 Jul 2013

There are moments of genius, spectacle and visually stunning set pieces that deserve nothing but admiration for the scope and vision of J.J. Abrams in his highly secretive 'Super 8', a film that has flashes of of the science fiction favourites we came to love, E.T. being the one that comes to mind. Its a homage of sorts that messes with the things that go bump in the night scenario, but adds in a pack of excellent performances from a child cast that push the film to be character-driven piece, where the actors make the film. Joel Courtney makes a commanding debut as the young kid Joel, who helps his friends film near a train station, where they witness a massive train crash which isn't everything it seems to be.

As the rest of their town suffer the repercussions of this irregular crash, Joel and his friends wonder what exactly happened and why the strange anomalies that occur afterwards are in place. From start to finish its clear the eye that Abrams has for detail and awe, his nostalgic bows to the Spielberg era of science-fiction aren't subtle, with various nods here and their to plot devices used in the past by Spielberg, such similarities that lead to an ending which feels very forced and typical to suit those who remember those films of the past, while there is emotional depth to the final moments, it just happened too quickly.

The redeeming feature of the extra-terrestrial adventure is the "precious cargo" itself, something we rarely see throughout the film, but we have the feeling it is there, through clever uses of editing and the panic on its unfortunate victims. The train mentioned earlier is one of the best highlights and most impressive feats of the film, with an added dose of miraculous explosions to pay homage to the films of yesteryear. But these feats couldn't be truly accomplished with the impressive turns of the relatively young cast, who show true quality and bring real depth and charisma to their performances, much like The Goonies, they have their own traits and personalities that contribute towards their group.

A masterful piece of filmmaking that takes off running but ultimately begins to unravel as the closing moments are rushed and forced to be accepted, but excellent performances and some stunning visuals make Super 8 and unmissable and nostalgic trip.