Movie Review: Super 8

The trailers for "Super 8" were underwhelming for me, as most JJ Abrams trailers are, due to the seeming reluctance to give away any plot whatsoever. I thought to myself, "This looks okay; I'll see it because I like JJ Abrams". Rest assured, this movie is excellent, the best of the year (that I've seen), and it's right up there with "Star Trek" as Abrams' best film to date. JJ Abrams has directed three movies so far in his young film career, the underrated "Mission: Impossible III", the incredible "Star Trek" reboot, and now this: a Spielberg-inspired, 70's/80's era sci-fi flick (Steven Spielberg actually co-produced the film). "Super 8" is positively brimming with nostalgia, but it's also an amazing alien/mystery/coming-of-age tale in it's own right.

 

The main reason "Super 8" is successful is very simple: the kids. Having a group of 12-13 year old kids as the stars of your movie is a pretty big risk. And for me, there's nothing more painful in a movie than watching child actors who don't know what they're doing standing in front of the camera and reciting their lines. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out the "Karate Kid" remake with Jaden Smith. But with "Super 8", every single kid hits it out of the park, especially first time actor Joel Courtney in the lead role. The kids are all mostly unknowns, with the exception of Elle Fanning, Dakota's little sis. I don't know where Abrams found these kids, but they're all exceptional, and completely believable as the endearing gang of misfits trying to make a zombie movie. 

 

The story centers around Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), who just lost his mother in a steel mill accident. He lives with just his father now, police chief Jackson Lamb (Kyle Chandler), who thinks it's ridiculous that Joe would want to help his friends make a zombie movie. He'd prefer that Joe go to a six week baseball camp for the summer; needless to say, Joe declines the offer. Things really pick up with a train crash, a monster on the loose, government intervention, and general small town intrigue. Joe's group of friends drive the main storyline, but there's also a storyline following Joe's father the police chief, trying to figure out exactly what's going on in the fictional town of Lillian, Ohio. The kids offer the heart of the story though, and some of the best scenes in the movie are surprisingly the emotional father/son ones. It's in these scenes where Joel Courtney's acting chops are indisputable.

JJ Abrams, with "Super 8", is basically calling bullshit on anyone who says "They don't make 'em like they used to". Yes they do; and in fact, sometimes they make them better than they used to. I've heard many people say that JJ Abrams is the new Spielberg, something which I've always kind of dismissed. Directors aren't new versions of old directors, they're just themselves. Well, after this movie, I may be switching camps. JJ Abrams may actually be this generation's Spielberg; he certainly seems willing to embrace the role. And to think that he made this movie with a budget of only $50 million, while the "Pirates" movie cost $200 million MORE, is simply incredible. Congrats, JJ- you hit this one out of the park. Now, if you please, go make the next "Star Trek" movie!