Super 8 review - A magical experience that shouldn’t be passed up.
The biggest criticism that sci-fi films often face is that they lack heart. They coldly go about telling their story with nary a human emotion. Super 8 bucks the tradition and delivers a rollicking adventure that harkens back to heartwarming films like E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It really should come as no surprise that Steven Spielberg produced the film.
This is director/screenwriter J.J. Abrams’ theatrical follow up to the wildly successful Star Trek. He shows complete command of his craft from the opening shot. It is a slow somber scene showing a plant employee changing a sign. The sign had a triple digit number signifying the last accident until changed to the number one. Abrams uses no dialogue here and expertly reveals that something bad happened at this work place. It reminded me of the first scene of Rear Window where Alfred Hitchcock just pans across various photos before displaying the up close shot that caused Jimmy Stewart’s condition.
We later learn that the woman killed at the plant was the mother of quiet contemplative teen Joe (Joel Courtney) and wife of a small town deputy in Ohio named Jackson (“Friday Night Lights” Kyle Chandler in another solid performance). The movie is set in 1979, so you are treated to tunes from the likes of Blondie and ELO. Everything about the film feels retro and not confined to present day storytelling techniques. It was refreshing not to be bombarded with constant explosions and quick cuts. Abrams takes his time with the shots even when there is big action scenes involved.
4 months after the funeral, things are starting to get back to normal for everyone. Joe hangs out with his friends Charles (Riley Griffiths), Martin (Gabriel Basso), Preston (Zach Mills) and Cary (scene stealer Ryan Lee). Jackson is trying to push his son to go to a baseball camp. There is still a raw uneasiness between father and son. Joe was clearly closer to his mother, while his father was busy working on his career. There are a few nice scenes throughout the movie with Chandler and Courtney as they try to build on their relationship after the tragedy.
Meanwhile Charles is working on a zombie movie using his trusty Super 8 film camera, hence the title of the film. He and the others are joined by Alice (Elle Fanning). Alice has a dark secret that may ruin the friendship between her and Joe. Alice’s father Louis (Ron Eldard) had never gotten along with Jackson. Joe though doesn’t seem to mind that difficulty since he is smitten with her. As they are filming at a train station, a car slams right into a moving train. Impressive filmmaking ensues as metal, debris and everything else fly through the air. Abrams wisely doesn’t go overboard with the mayhem and focuses in on the kids as they try to survive the ordeal.
The kids learn that one of their teachers was involved in the accident, but was it an accident? Strange things start happening around town. Dogs disappear, auto parts vanish and even people go missing. A woman at a town hall meeting suggests that the Soviets are the perpetrators. This will no doubt invite chuckles from the audience recalling the days when the USSR was the big bad enemy of the United States. The culprit is an alien life form, but what is it after? Since there is an alien involved, the government has to be not far behind. In this case it is the Air Force trying to clean up the mess. Assuming the role of the villain is Colonel Nelec (scene chewing Noah Emmerich). Nelec is one of those guys who does not like to get his hands dirty and he lets others do it for him. Nelec is intentionally vague about the crash and the contents of the train with the deputy. But isn’t that always the case in these type of films? It seems to fall under the need to know basis.
One of the biggest accomplishments for Abrams in Super 8 is the casting of the kids. That is always a tricky proposition. They can be too cutesy, mugging for the camera or too much like adults. That isn’t the case here. There is a natural feel with how they interact with each other and how they deal with this unknown event. Charles wants his creation to “flow” better. That is exactly what you expect a burgeoning young director to say. Abrams sprinkles in several lines like that. Fanning embodies the same superlative acting skills as her older sister. She gets to show them off especially when the kids are shooting their zombie flick. The heaviest burden of the movie falls though on Courtney. He more than holds his own against Chandler and Fanning.
At the scene of the crash, Joe picks up something that looks like a Rubik’s cube. This plays a part in one of the better scenes. The object hurdles through a wall and the camera peers through the hole to its final resting place. It is just a neat visual that is awe inspiring.
As mentioned previously, Steven Spielberg is a producer on Super 8 and worked closely with Abrams. It is not surprising that various earlier Spielberg films seemed to be referenced here. You don’t see the full alien until later in the film a la Jaws. Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a clear match with the subject matter. The slow build and tension of Alien, which Spielberg wasn’t involved with, can be seen as well. The biggest connection is clearly E.T with the heavy involvement of child actors, the shadowy government figures, various motivations and the overall tone.
It is nice that there isn’t any cell phones or Ipads seen anywhere on the screen. That was a simpler time where kids actually went out and played. There was no Internet or texting going on. A simple walkie talkie was used to communicate with your friends. In the end “Super 8” is really all about family, bonding with friends and finding your place in this world. This is a magical experience that shouldn’t be passed up. After the credits, there is a nifty sequence involving the kids that puts a nice capper to Super 8.
Check out these movie trailers and clips, posters and images from Super 8: