Review of Super 8 (2011) by Fc1 — 10 Jun 2011

A reviewer write "we want something wonderful, entertaining, fun, original, and skillful", but doesn't feel this movie provides any of these. My guess is that this movie will get its share of naysayers with similar misgivings and feelings of this movie, but I also think that perhaps these moviegoers may already have been predisposed to begin making comparisons and analogies before they walked in to view the movie.

Yes, Super 8 has elements seen in Spielberg movies and some of what you expect from Abrams. Surprise! They collaborated it. I'm glad that Super 8 advertising showed only "so much" because it helped to keep the "mystery", that I think drew many people in.

The audience with which I saw Super 8 very clearly liked the movie; so did I. Why? In some part because of remembrances of movies past; but primarily because the acting was surprisingly (at least for me) much better than expected (I could literally feel the audience sucked in with the boys at Elle Fanning's rehearsal at the train station).

there were plenty of unknowns to keep you guessing until they were slowly revealed (not always as expected), there was a warmth and caring for the characters that's not often seen in major action movies, and finally the resolution of the story was satisfying (which is often not the case when you find out it's a dream or the unknown entity or dilemma is a dog that's grown to 100 times its size).

Yes there were elements seen in other movies, but they fit within the genre and have a reason for being there. Often, its not the introduction of something never seen that makes art original, it's the combination of its elements that does so.

I think this movie will stay with us and be enjoyed as much as other productions by Spielberg and Abrams; maybe more. Loved the very end, BTW.