Friday June 10th, 2011
“Super
8” isn’t a perfect movie — really, no movie is — but for my
money, it’s pretty darn close. J.J. Abrams
has lovingly crafted the exact kind of summer blockbuster you wish you could see
more often these days : plenty of action, one hell of a train crash (trust me,
the trailers and commercials don’t do the real disaster justice), and a whole
lot of heart.
There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the new Amblin Entertainment movie, yes,
so I’ll do my best not to spoil any of the big surprises for you. But for now, I
don’t think it’s spoiling anything to say this: cheesy as it sounds, “Super 8”
really is (wait for it) super great. Check out five reasons you need to
see this movie past the jump.
The Nostalgia Factor
The comparisons to “E.T.,” “The Goonies”
and other Spielberg-approved movies of yesteryear are more than fair. From plot
and premise to performances and execution to its very heart and soul, “Super 8”
feels like a movie that was made 30 years ago, today, if that makes
sense. This is a deeply personal effort for Abrams, who’s quite clearly digging
back to his childhood roots as a filmmaker and coming back out of the hole with
some great new stuff. By necessity, “Super 8” is a movie that’s always looking
back — but it doesn’t do so at the expense of barreling forward.
The Kids
The kids
of “Super 8” absolutely steal the show. Joel
Courtney is perfect as doe-eyed protagonist Joe Lamb, delivering a character
that’s one part Mikey Walsh, one part Elliot, and several parts of… well,
himself. He’s a great character surrounded by equally memorable children, the
kinds of kids I expect many of you found yourselves hanging around with in grade
school. (Or maybe that’s just me.) Oh, and Elle Fanning
— if you don’t fall in love with her (in the non-creepy way) during the
train scene, well, perhaps you just don’t have a heart. The young lady has a
fantastic career ahead of herself.
Kyle Chandler
Though the kids are the central focus of
“Super 8,” this is also the story of Jack Lamb, the deputy with the weight of
his town and his family on his shoulders (perhaps in that order, at least to
start) played by Kyle
Chandler, late of the
excellent “Friday Night Lights.” While the story doesn’t always serve the
character — indeed, his arc is probably the one I found most problematic — the
nuanced performance that Chandler gives as Jack is really something to behold.
To put it crudely, Chandler acts the crap out of “Super 8.” If this guy isn’t a
consistent big-screen leading man over the next several years, then Hollywood
casting agents simply aren’t doing their jobs right.
The Monster
No, I’m not going to tell you what it is. No,
I’m not going to tell you what it wants. While I’m not sure that the complete
veil of secrecy shrouded over the “Super 8” antagonist is entirely necessary,
there’s no question that this thing works best in bits and pieces — not just in
terms of marketing, but within the movie itself. That said, when you do
see what’s plaguing this quaint Ohio town… well, for me, it did not
disappoint.
The Credits
Trust me, I do not say this lightly: “Super
8” has the best credits sequence I’ve ever seen in any movie. Stick around. You
do not want to miss it. If you really need to know why, watch the video
below — the cast will explain everything. But it goes without saying…
SPOILERS ahead!
review from and video at: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/06/10/super-8-movie-review/
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Super 8 was released on June 10, 2011 according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_8_(film)
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June 10th, 2011
6 + 10 +2+0+1+1 = 20 = Super 8’s life lesson and personal year = You be the judge. Judge for yourself.
20 year + 6 (June) = 26 = Super 8’s personal month = Movie. Popular. Celebrities. Photos. In the news.
26 month + 10 (10th of the month on Friday June 10th, 2011) = 36 = Super 8’s personal day = Crushing [competitors].
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