Super 8 Review by Corbin Bond

Today, I had the amazing opportunity to go see Super 8 with my dad and older brother, and let me tell you one thing. This movie was an awesome experience! Before I get into an in depth review I do want to mention that there may be some minor spoilers but nothing too bad. Anyways, the film is about a group of kids that are just getting out of school for the summer in the late 70s/ early 80s. They plan to spend their summer filming a super 8 zombie horror film to be submitted to a Ohio Film Festival. Meanwhile the main character, Joe, who works with makeup and effects, is currently trying to move on following the death of his mother 4 months earlier and dealing with an especially distant father, who is a deputy in the local police force.
One night after, sneaking out to film a scene for their movie at a train station on the edge of town, they are witness to, and almost killed by, a massive train crash that later leads into many unusual and otherworldly occurrences in the small town. The military comes in and soon, these children are about to learn that their small little town is about to become victim to a dangerous government secret that could lead to the destruction of their town while a mysterious "thing" lurks in the shadows. It's a race against time as the characters must stand together against both the military and this unknown force that could easily destroy them if time runs out.
Okay, that was just the gist of what this Hollywood spectacle has to offer. Let me first start by saying that if you love the classic Steven Spielberg films, such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., The Goonies, Jaws, and even Jurassic Park, then you will undoubtedly love this movie as it is clearly J.J. Abrams (director of Cloverfield and Star Trek) love letter to the classic Spielberg films that made going to the movies fun. What Abrams does that makes this film so successful is he makes it very character driven. The characters can either make or break a movie, but Abrams cast amazing young actors and non-A-listed celebs to portray the roles in the film with realistic emotions and depth. Meanwhile, this film is also outstanding in how it keeps to the nostalgia. From beginning to the end, you literally feel immersed in 1970's/1980's culture all the way down to the most infinitesimal detail.
Speaking of Spielberg, who also worked together with Abrams on the film, Super 8 has many moments that look and feel very much like a classic Spielberg moment. There are moments that are shocking, touching, terrifying, violent, and powerful. The film succeeds very well in being an amazing Sci-Fi monster movie. Though it doesn't have the touching connection of child and alien like in E.T., there are those moments that feel like you are watching Elliot on his bike when it is really Joe or his friends. Furthermore, this film has some rather frightening and suspenseful moments that can easily make you jump. There is a lot of atmosphere in the night scenes of this film to easily consider it as Sci-Fi Horror. This idea may also relate to how Spielberg used to delve into multiple genres in his films. For example, though Jaws was a fantastic Horror film, it also had touching moments of a drama. This film is no different, there are some clever chills and thrills, and even some bloody moments to make any fan of classic Spielberg happy.
As for the actors, I was very impressed with the cast, especially with how they were not very well known actors. They were all very believable in their portrayal of 1970s/1980s life. The child actors are especially note worthy in that they are the ones that hold the movie together. The best ones in my opinion were the actor who played Joe and Elle Fanning (Dakota Fanning's younger sister), who played the role of Alice. Fanning really delivers a wonderful performance as a young and somewhat troubled girl and at times she literally had me on the verge of tears. As for the adult actors, Kyle Chandler was awesome as Joe's father and the deputy. There were moments where his character made me angry yet he had a way of subtly provoking pity due to his situation. Overall, the casting was impressive.
The most impressive part of this film though has to be in the cinematography and effects. One stand out scene has to be the catastrophic train crash at the beginning of the film. Abrams utilized the combination of CGI with actual sets to produce an amazing piece of eye candy in how this train crash was both extremely intense and frightening while also mesmerizing. Meanwhile, the night scenes and sound provided allowed for a lot of tension to be built up at a very good pace leading to some of the frightening moments of the film. Finally, the ending, which I will not get into too much detail with, is truly a spectacle that brings everything together and ultimately left me extremely satisfied.
Overall, I must recommend this movie to everyone. It is an amazing summer movie that will definitely gather following over the years and it should definitely be recognized as a revitalization of classic Spielberg with the right amount of scares, drama, and steady pacing to make this a movie that would be great to see in a theater. It is an awesome viewing experience, and it is also one that I shall definitely add to my movie collection when it arrives on DVD!