Super 8 Review
By: T.J. “so what, I just wait here like a douche” Mulligan
There was once a time in the cinematic world when a single name would send theater-goers into a tizzy. If this man’s name was attached to or at the helm of a film it was guaranteed to be a blockbuster. His films were amazing not just in the size and scope of what appeared onscreen, but the depth and breadth of the story itself. He’s a man who taught multiple generations how to dream in cinema and is potentially the most influential filmmaker of all time. I’m talking, of course, about Michael Bay. PSYCHE! From his early career with Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. all the way up through the 90s and the new millennium with films like Jurassic Park, A.I.: Artificial Intelligence and Minority Report (among many, many others), Steven Spielberg has been about as close to a surefire bet as a director can get. In recent years he’s taken more of a step back (though definitely not away) from the directing gigs but remains consistently entrenched in the world of movies as a producer. The man remains so beloved that many are on the lookout for a new director that can be “the next Spielberg”… and a few think they might have found him. J.J. Abrams has taken a seemingly reverse-Spielbergian path to prominence, starting out as a producer for a few movies and television shows such as Felicity, Alias and, most notably, Lost. Since then he has only directed two feature films, Mission Impossible III and Star Trek, but his efforts have been enough for those “in the know” to christen him as the heir apparent to the master. This summer’s Super 8 gives all those who’ve touted Abrams as “the second coming” a chance to see him teamed with Spielberg to deliver what on paper appears to be a movie breathing the same air as those of Spielberg’s heyday.
Super 8 is about 13-year-old Joe (Joel Courtney), a kid heading into his first summer without his mother, who was killed in an accident at work that winter. His father, Jackson (Kyle Chandler), a deputy in the their town of Lillian, OH, is finding it hard to communicate with Joe, who seems to want to spend all of his free time painting models and assisting his friend Charles (Riley Griffiths) with a film he’s shooting. One night Joe, Charles and their group of friends, including Alice Dainard (Elle Fanning), a girl Joe obviously has feelings for, sneak out to the railroad tracks to film a scene for the movie. While filming, Joe witnesses a truck speeding along the tracks, heading right in the direction of an oncoming train. The two collide, leading to the complete derailment and crash of the train and sending the kids fleeing for safety. As government agents start overrunning the small town and objects, pets and people begin disappearing, it becomes evident that this crash was no accident and that whatever was on board that train was something utterly different, and dangerous.
It’s apparent early on that this film sincerely wants to be the Spielberg film that never was… and it absolutely is. This is the type of film that made going to the movies synonymous with summertime. Lens flares aside (which never bothered me until people started drawing attention to them every time they talked about Abrams), this has the look and feel of a classic blockbuster: big explosions, impressive visual and special effects and that “large events in a small town” atmosphere. Abrams’ eye for the cinematic was made abundantly evident with Star Trek but he really seems to have honed it for this. Throughout he works carefully makes the big moments feel more grandiose and the “small” moments more intimate; what’s more, he is able to transition between to the two seamlessly, making this the most visually appealing movie so far this year.
The most impressive aspect of Abrams’ directing ability has to be the performances he was able to generate from the child actors in the film. Each and every one of the children felt like genuine kids, likely just like those within your group of friends while growing up. Each actor in that group has a promising career ahead of them but a special tip of the hat has to be given to Elle Fanning. Before seeing her in this my only knowledge of this young prospect was that she was Dakota’s little sister. However, she may have surpassed her older sibling here, stealing scene after scene until you forget that Joe is supposed to be the main protagonist. She is definitely a star in the making and I now know that if I’m ever in need of someone to play a zombie, I’m asking for her.
There have been a lot of comparisons between this movie and E.T. specifically. While the comparisons are rightfully made (young boy discovers an otherworldly creature, small town in the 70s, etc.), the fundamental difference is that E.T. is never made to be frightening like the creature in this film is (also I don’t remember E.T. popping someone’s head like a grape). In that way I would suggest this film is more along the lines of Jurassic Park, a movie that really isn’t so bad for the whole family to see, but is rated PG-13 for a reason: language, blood and plenty of scenes that will make even the most fearless cinephiles a little jumpy.
This is a film that reminds fans of movies from the last two generations why they used to love going in the first place, and hopefully shows future generations just how great storytelling and dynamic visuals can combine to make a fully legit summer movie.
I give Super 8 5 Companion Cubes space cubes out of 5.
