Today’s quick review: Super 8. In 1979, Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), a boy living in a small Ohio town, spends his free time filming amateur movies with his friends. While out filming one night, the teens witness a train crash that releases a mysterious creature from captivity. As the Air Force moves in to cover up the crash, Joe and his friends set out to find the escaped creature, which is responsible for a series of disappearances around town.
Super 8 is a science fiction adventure movie from director J.J. Abrams. Set in the Midwest in the late 70s, Super 8 captures the adventure and innocence of youth, using an escaped monster and a government cover-up as its plot hooks. Great characters and sparkling dialogue make the movie a fun watch. The sci-fi side of the story gives the movie some nice tension and an effective mystery, but it frequently takes back seat to the kids’ antics.
Super 8’s best feature is its characters. Joe’s friends (Riley Griffiths, Zach Mills, Ryan Lee, and Gabriel Basso) are a spirited and loyal group of boys. Their dialogue is organic, their decisions are the right mix of responsible and reckless, and they fade easily into the background when the movie needs to focus on Joe. Joe himself is a likable protagonist given depth by his brave actions and his budding relationship with Alice (Elle Fanning).
The science fiction part of the movie suffices to drive the story but isn’t given as much attention as the characters themselves. Super 8 does a good job of keeping the creature mysterious and using it to establish tension, but the payoff isn’t as elaborate as it could have been. Those who go into the movie expecting a dark thriller or a deep mystery will be disappointed. Those hoping for an adventure with a dash of the unknown will get what they want.
For a more aggressive encounter between teens and aliens, check out Attack the Block. For a family movie with a sismilar story, check out The Iron Giant. For a darker brush with a destructive monster, check out Cloverfield.
7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for excellent characters and a solid story, hurt slightly by the imbalance between the two.