Movie Review: Super 8 (2011)

I knew very little about this movie going in. The most common thing I heard was that it was a love letter to Steven Spielberg movies. That would be a fine thing to say if Spielberg wrote himself love letters. He produced the J.J. Abrams directed film. To me, it was a throwback to the movies of the early 1980s that were aimed at my generation. Despite what my bio says, I was born in 1976, so I grew up watching things like E.T., The Goonies and Explorers. The heroes were kids my age, and they lived adventurous lives. This was a common theme at that time, and it can probably be blamed for the popularity of the Coreys. What can I say? You get some good, and you get some bad. Super 8 is a return to the best part of that era.

Buy Super 8 [Blu-ray] or DVD



I was so thrilled to see good child actors. Finding one is a blessing, but an entire cast of them is magical. The story follows a group of these talented kids as they try to make a zombie movie for a competition. Along the way, they witness a horrific train crash that they capture on film. The train houses some interesting cargo, and the Air Force is very interested in cleaning up the mess. Parents are a part of the chaos and confusion, including one who is an alcoholic and another who happens to be the local deputy.

It's great to see quality adult actors as well. Ron Eldard and Kyle Chandler, both known more for television, are single dads who don't care for each other because of the events surrounding a horrible accident. They fit well in their roles and help the story move along. I really watched this through the eyes of a six-year-old boy, and I felt the way I did when I watched these movies almost thirty years ago. I also got a kick out of the filmmaking element, since I know what shooting an indie movie is like. I would recommend Super 8 to anyone. It's fun, exciting and worth the ticket price. I think it's something I'll eventually watch with my daughter to give her the kind of movie watching experience I had when I was a kid.