Super 8 Review

J.J. Abrams’s Super 8 certainly pays homage in its visual style to early Steven Spielberg films, for it is full of eerie night scenes, kids wandering around on bicycles, and flashlights that form visible beams in the air (this is particularly fitting since Spielberg was a producer for this movie). Taking place in a small town in Ohio, the story poses as a toss up between The Goonies and E.T. Even though elements of other films are used in this feature, it does not deviate from its creativity and entertainment value.

The film is centered on a group of kids who are trying to make a zombie movie with a Super 8mm camera (hence the title). The two heads of the gang are Joe (Joel Courtney), who is dealing with the death of his mother, and Charles (Riley Griffiths), an intense kid that will do almost anything to get this zombie flick accomplished. On one of their nights of shooting, they film at an old train station. By chance, a train happens to come along the tracks. For “production value,” Charles shouts, “Action!” and the child actors try to deliver their lines over the thunderous locomotive. Joe briefly turns his head and notices a truck driving erratically. It rides onto the train tracks and collides head-on into the locomotive. Then follows the longest crash sequence ever. Train compartments fly and smash into one another like dominoes as the kids desperately run, dodging debris and explosions. With the surround sound system on in my house, this was a treat to watch and listen—no doubt the SFX editors had a blast in creating this scene.

After the train crash, there is a loud bang; a compartment door flies off, landing in front of Joe. What caused this, we don’t know. Shortly thereafter, strange occurrences arise; people begin to vanish, packs of dogs run away from their homes, electricity lights flick on and off, and mysterious military personnel show up at the crash site, who are obstinate to inform the town’s people what is really happening. Joe and his friends begin their investigation. Joe’s indifferent father (Kyle Chandler), who is the deputy of the town, also begins his inquiries. Here is where the meat and potatoes of the story appear. I will not delve further into the plot; for it is that good.

Much of the success in Super 8 is the characters. There are human elements added to them, which makes them thoroughly developed and likable. We feel for Joe as he tries to cope with the death of his mother alone. We also feel for the relationship that he develops with Alice (Elle Fanning), who happens to be the daughter of the man that is in part responsible for his mother’s death. There is a particular touching scene where Joe applies zombie makeup to Alice’s face. Not many words are exchanged in this moment, but the emotions that Joe and Alice convey show that they deeply care for one another. It is also hard to resist the comic nature of the rest of the kids, especially Cary (Ryan Lee), with his obsession of blowing things up, and Martin (Gabriel Basso), with his tendency of losing his food every time something horrible occurs.

Though the kids are the main focus of this film, the few adults that are present do a decent job. Ryan Chandler as Joe’s father meshes into the role well as a man that does not know how to cope with his wife’s death, nor is able to control, much less understand his son. Ron Eldard as Alice’s father is extremely limited in screen time, but he plays a good drunk that is plagued by his past sins.

In short, director J.J. Abrams is not interested in blatant visual effects (unlike a Michael Bay film). He is more concerned with unraveling a wonderful, well-paced story that has believable, compelling characters and intertwining the elements of action, suspense, mystery, humor, and drama all into one entertaining flick. My final opinion, Super 8 is the reason why I go see movies!