I really liked Super 8 a lot. So much so that I'm gonna watch it again tomorrow night before I have to return the movie back to the Library. I think the reason why the movie appealed to me as much as it did is because it really is a throwback to filmmaking of the 70's in style, tone and execution. It's a very subtle, almost vintage movie in a way. The movie is bascially The Goonies meets Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Now if the movie reminds you of Encounters, there is a reason for that. Steven Spielberg was attached as Producer and JJ Abrams did an incredible job writting and directing this one.

There's a lot to like here. I'm a big fan of Kyle Chandler from his days on Friday Night Lights. The kids I didn't know at all with the exception of Elle Fanning. All the other kids were completely new to me and they did a wonderful job. I like the A and B Story colliding into one another with the kids constantly trying to film their scenes for their Zombie flick when all hell breaks loose and the Monster is on the loose. By the end of the movie, you basically forget all about the Zombie movie because of a more pressing matter of trying to survive. But then just as you completely forget about it entirely, we get the payoff during the end credits and it's frickin' hilarious!!

If I do have one negative thing to say about Super 8, it's the ending. It's way too short. We the viewer aren't given a lot of time to savor it. It felt rushed. We should have been given adequate time to take it all in with the amount of time we have invested in the movie. Just think of the ending to Close Encounters. With that one we really got to experience it to the max and I was hoping we'd get the same thing here.

Having said that, I highly recommend this as a Buy for sure.

I too enjoyed Super 8. Just fun, quality sci-fi with a monster. Yea, the monster looks vaguely familiar {cough}Cloverfield{cough,cough}. I loved the way they built up the tension and slow reveal of the monster. If I had a gripe that would have been too much of the Alien at the end. I also didn’t quite understand the Aliens need of all the appliances and metals and such. I guess the ‘magic’ moment at the end was the answer. I still don’t get it.

The kids were great. Gabriel Basso as Martin I recognize from The Big C, which recently started its new season. The bizarre thing for me is, I’ve told my wife, Gabriel is almost a mirror clone of my son in the way he looks and acts.

Anyway, back to the movie. I was pretty amazed how Super 8 emulated Steven Spielberg’s work. From the camera angles and movement, which I find unique and developed from Spielberg, to the emotional story telling. Either he was on the set a lot or he just has immense influence on JJ Abrams.

Once I get my home theater set up, I will be checking this out again for the train wreck scene.


I enjoyed it, but it's just a rent for me.