Super 8

The latest brainchild of the very prolific J.J. Abrams, Super 8 was high on my list of must-see movies for the summer, especially since it was also produced by the great Steven Spielberg.

Synopsis: a bunch of kids are shooting a homemade horror movie with a Super 8 camera when a terrifying accident sets in motion a chain of events that will bring them face to face with an unexpected alien life-form.

Abrams is once again able to elicit very good performances from the entire cast, especially the kids, among whom Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths and Elle Fanning do an excellent job.

The production is phenomenal, with great visual effects that never elbow their way (*cough* Michael Bay *cough*) into the story.  They instead come off as very organic, like in the old Spielberg movies (Close Encounters of the Third Kind comes to mind) to which Super 8 successfully pays homage.

Art decoration, set design, costumes, and cinematography all contribute to the ‘80s look and feel of the film.  The well written screenplay sets up a cool story, allows the characters to establish themselves and develop into full-fledged personas, and unravels like clockwork at a good pace towards a satisfying ending.

The Bottom Line: Abrams has done it again, serving up an apparently modest but actually fresh product that will stay with you for a while and will remind the audience of a time long gone when the summer blockbusters weren’t just empty and overblown spawns of previously released material, preferably with someone wearing a costume.  Watch it.  And stay for the credits.

Grade: 8