'Super 8' A Review

Forward, a pertinent point on reviews: In an interview recently with Terry Gross J.J. Abrahms said he thinks knowing things about a movie before seeing it detract from your movie going experience. I agree. I'm a review junkie so have tried to delay my habit and read reviews after watching to see how they compare. You don't want opinions coloring your impression. With that said a lot of people like reviews and use them as a guiding tool for what to see because they don't go to movies frequently. I get that but that's not me. I see everything. I mean, I saw 'Transformers 2' on opening night and I knew I would hate it. The movie opens with the death of our protagonist Joe's mother. We get the impression that Joe and his father are isolated, his dad is emotionally unequipped to deal with the loss. Four months later Joe and his friends, chief among them Charles the writer/director, are making a zombie movie. Charles the chubby/bossy/normal best friend of the more reserved Joe asks an older girl Alice(Elle Fanning) to play a part in the movie. She agrees much to the boys excitement and steals her dad's car in order to drive them. They all arrive at midnight to shoot a scene at the local train station.

During shooting a train arrives and is initially derailed by an on coming truck. A major accident happens and something, we don't know what, is released from an Air Force freight car. After that things in the small Ohio town takes a turn for the peculiar. The children continue to shoot the movie but the situation in the town degenerates. Things are being stolen, people are disappearing, the military is everywhere without explanation etc.

While this is happening the real meat of the movie is on the plate. A beautiful complex friendship or romance is developing between Joe and Alex. We get a real sense of this group of boys and Alice, who they are, their struggles, their interests. We see Joe's struggling relationship with his father. His father's fury, his father's despair, but also his father's courage and edge while dealing with the towns crisis(he's a cop). We see this group of friends, all nerds, pouring all their love and energy into making a movie in the midst of this local disaster. Charles also is a stand out character. Always flushed, always speaking too loud. But lovable. No matter how loud, bossy, or creative he is he knows he won't get Alice. Joe will and because of this we love Charles too.
I won't discuss the creature or any of the second half of the movie but I will say it's fun and it satisfying. Kyle Chandler is great as Joe's dad and his chemistry with Joe is great. The whole dynamic between the friends is so pleasurable to watch. People have compared it to E.T. but I think that's inaccurate. It's way more violent and edgy than E.T. I hated E.T. I would say it's more a Stand By Me/It/Hearts In Atlantis type movie. Like a coming of age movie with a sci-fi or other world element.

See It.