Review: Super 8

So we have J. J. Abrams, the director of Cloverfield and Steven Spielberg, who we know is very fond with aliens and everything that’s comes from outer space. These two together seems like a good match up, but compared to Cloverfield and Spielberg’s previous triumphs, how does this film fare?

In summary this films is about a group of kids in the year 1979, creating a film for a local contest, which then goes horribly wrong when they witness a train crash, which sends the town spiraling as more mis-happens occur within the town. Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) plays the main character in this feature, who has just lost his mother and then shows us what happens four months after.

This film felt like it brought back the 80’s. It didn’t have any of that suspense that you would usually get within sci-fi films and it feels like it literally came from that era. On the other hand when we see the ‘alien’ and it’s ‘spaceship’ you then realize that this is a film from this generation, which can be a good thing I suppose. It kept true to the aspect of coming from ’79, with the kids filming with old and odd cameras, which took film and not digital like now a days. Considering that there is a scene where the shop assistant was also playing music out of a Walkman, also helps secure that safe haven of the film staying true to the era that it was trying to belong.

The acting itself was good. Mainly due to a cast of children, they have done really well. There are a few places where the adults, such as Jackson Lamb (Kyle Chandler) and Louis Dainard (Ron Eldard) who outshine most of the others, since they are also in the running of supporting cast. Riley Griffiths’ character, Charles, was one that was seen to be the bossy type, who wanted his things his way and would always try to shows authority. His constant use of the word ‘shit’ also determines that he has a very low vocabulary and does not have a better way to describe the situation. Either way you blame him if there was a load of mis happens going on in your town. Not many other characters stand out. There are too many of the ‘Air Force’ to stand one out, apart from the Major, but aside from that there are constantly soldiers from that area around the place.
You do not get much of a backstory about this ‘Alien’, who only wants to get home and is, considerably hungry. However the air force don’t want to let it go and give the ‘Alien’ the impression that all humans are evil. However, humans can understand all of its thoughts when it picks them up, through some use of telepathy.

When looking at this movie and back at ‘Cloverfield’, it makes me wonder why J.J. Abrams has gone to do a film, which is not as anticipated but yet more family friendly. Of course the film has been given the ‘12A’ certificate, which is just right, but there are the elements where we all know that families would enjoy this film. When looking at this from a Spielberg point of view, it feels like that this film would fit into the categories of his 80’s film E.T. The presence of the alien and then that creature wanting to go home, it’s nothing new, but since we haven’t had a film like this in a while, I suppose it’s a good time to get one out and re-live the classics such as E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
According to J.J. Abrams however this film was homage to the films Spielberg created in the 80’s, with the previous two being examples and with the addition of ‘The Goonies’. When you look at it that way, you can see the resemblance.

So in summary, this film has nothing new to really offer the audience, but considering the time zone, the acting and the storyline put together, it does feel like they have brought back an era, which many people we know may miss. J. J. Abrams has achieved on a different level, but it does feel like there is no originality where this film was heading. However this film had a very solid storyline and kept you going. I admit it left me confused for a while until I realized what this ‘Alien’ was doing. It had excellent performances from the younger cast especially and it had that Steven Spielberg feel to the film, as all his films originally did during the 70’s and 80’s.

All in all this film was entertaining, offered nothing new, but it does re-visit and helps keep the ideas of aliens alive.