Super 8

Over-referred to as a "Spielbergian" film or an homage piece, J.J. Abrams' (of the lively STAR TREK and "Lost") SUPER 8 is a fine stand-alone summer movie. Abrams may use many of the camera movements and plot devices of early Spielberg films, but his desire to entertain through spectacle and, in this case, a Spielbergesque medium shines through the most. SUPER 8 concerns itself with a group of 12 year oldish kids in the late 70's--or is it early 80's? Abrams himself doesn't seem to be sure--who, while filming a zombie movie for a film festival with a super 8 camera, witness a derailed train that contains strange white cubes, and a creature in one of the compartments. The children, led by Joel Courtney as the Deputy Sheriff's son, Kyle Chandler as the filmmaker, and the wonderful Elle Fanning as the go-along friend, are uniformly interesting, and lead the film towards its cosmic peripheral interests. For, in Abram's film, his special effects are slightly lost amid the muddled, and frankly underwhelming truths. Rather, how the children in the film reach those truths is what is interesting and well executed / constructed. Especially the Elle Fanning character, and her interactions with the somewhat dazed boys, is compelling. Abrams also proves himself to be quite good in many fields here. The film is often funny in modern ways, and often pretty exciting. SUPER 8 is, simply, a good film. That's actually what is bothersome, for perhaps if Abrams hadn't boxed his creativity in with the "homage" bullshit, then he could have made a wonderful, modernly Spielbergesque film. Still good though.
Super 8: ★★★