Review - Super 8

Scott and I took one of our kidlings and their friend to the multiplex the other night, and decided to catch a show ourselves.  Super 8 got two thumbs up from our oldest movie critic, so we decided to see it.  What a great show! 

The movie is the story of a boy who has recently lost his mother.  His dad is a deputy police officer for their little midwest town.  Things aren't going great for them.  The boy and his friends are in the middle of shooting a zombie movie on their super 8 camera, when they witness a massive train wreck.  Then things start happening in the town that are very disturbing.  That's all I can say, everything else would be a major spoiler, and I don't want to ruin your fun!

This film was directed and produced by J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg.  And boy, can you tell!  It has the feel of Spielberg movies from the 1980's and the great plot that comes with J.J. Abrams.  Super 8 captures the feel of 1979, with a few anachronisms, of course, but it really did feel like the late 70's.  I should know, I would have been 10.  Sigh. 

Super 8 does a great job of pulling you into that world that exists with kids, the one that the adults have no idea about.  Their relationships, sense of humor, personal goals, feelings, ideals, rules, values.  When I think about myself as an adult making decisions, it starts as a very young adult, like the kids in this picture.  These kids are independant thinkers who have a project to finish. 

The special effects are great, of course, and I have to say the train wreck scene rivals any action scene I've viewed recently, including X-Men Origins.  I also really liked the way for the first half of the movie you never see what's coming, it makes it really scary and suspensful. 

Warning to parents, despite starring some fine young actors, this is not a movie for small children.  There are language issues.  The kids have mouths full of sauce.  Also, there are drug references. 

The adults who are in this movie do a great job of supporting the cast of youths, but are really secondary to the plot.  It reminds me of Stand By Me, or The Goonies, or any of those movies back in the day. 

Since there are three members of our family who saw this and liked it, I'll give it six thumbs up!

Note, stay for the end credits, you won't be disappointed.