J.J. Abrams' Super 8 (2011)

[SirNewt]

Call me a sucker but I really bought the love story. Affection really grows out of hardshiip. Especially when those involved are lonely messed up people.

The father-son relationship on the other hand had no convincing resolution and no bearing on the story whatsoever. The former because, hey they're both safe now, they can go back to hating each other next week. The later because with a little tweaking you could tell the exact same story with the two getting along but still struggling with the loss of the mother. 99% of the movie was completely incidental to them hating each other.

[transmogrifier]

Yeah, the balance was all wrong. The character that most needed to "learn" something was the father; the son was pretty normal and balanced right from the start. Yet we are stuck with the kid as the main story driver. He's not even allowed to develop his "relationship" with the girl. He has a crush on her right from the start, and she figures out she likes him, and that's about that.

[balmakboor]

Yeah, this movie had its fair share of story problems. I'm very thankful for it (and this thread) giving me reason to rewatch Over the Edge and Bad News Bears. Now those are two films that are fucking near perfect. I've seen them ten times each easily and they never grow old.

[Pop Trash]

I bought the love story, but a lot of it had to do with the kid's performances. Good performances can drive suspension of disbelief a long way.

[balmakboor]

I bought the love story, but a lot of it had to do with the kid's performances. Good performances can drive suspension of disbelief a long way.

I bought pretty much everything, but, as you say, the performances put me in the mood to be forgiving.

[Rowland]

There are undoubtedly narrative contrivances, but I don't find lingering over them half as interesting as how confidently the film is crafted and how perfectly it captures that joie de vivre of insouciant youth at that very particular transitional period between childhood and adolescence. In a season of endless comic adaptations and sequels, a blockbuster that looks to the past for inspiration isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially when it wields this reverence as an inadvertent means of emboldening the notion of cinema as a conduit for emotional catharsis and a communal form of artistic self-discovery.

[SirNewt]

There are undoubtedly narrative contrivances, but I don't find lingering over them half as interesting as how confidently the film is crafted and how perfectly it captures that joie de vivre of insouciant youth at that very particular transitional period between childhood and adolescence. In a season of endless comic adaptations and sequels, a blockbuster that looks to the past for inspiration isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially when it wields this reverence as an inadvertent means of emboldening the notion of cinema as a conduit for emotional catharsis and a communal form of artistic self-discovery.

Personally I have no problem with the amount of contrivance. After all, if you can't tolerate a healthy amount of contrivance how are you ever going to appreciate a Dickens novel?

My problem is that it seemed like there was this awesome coming of age in a small town movie that literally got cut off half way through and mashed up against the later half of a creature flick. I know this is a common cliche among film critics but Super 8 really does seem to suffer from an identity crisis to me.

On the other hand I completely I agree with you. The first thing I said upon leaving the theater to my buddy was, "whatever I say about this movie in the future, I'm really glad there's a summer blockbuster this year that isn't an adaptation of a comic or 1980s toy."

I hope the movie is a great success because it might help clear Hollywood's summer pallet a bit.

[Kurosawa Fan]

My son is treating me to this tomorrow for Father's Day. I'm pretty sure he's more excited than I am, but I'm looking forward to it.

[Russ]

My son is treating me to this tomorrow for Father's Day..

That's pretty awesome.

[Ezee E]

My son is treating me to this tomorrow for Father's Day. I'm pretty sure he's more excited than I am, but I'm looking forward to it.

Could've been Popper's Penguins.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Could've been Popper's Penguins.

*shudders*

I've never been more proud than when he told me that looked stupid. I'm hoping he's getting to the age where he starts to realize not every movie is worth seeing.

[Kurosawa Fan]

That's pretty awesome.

I should mention that he doesn't have any money saved up, so basically him treating me to the movie consisted of him asking if I'd like to go see this for Father's Day. It's the thought that counts, though. I was pretty excited that he took the initiative.

[Scar]

I should mention that he doesn't have any money saved up, so basically him treating me to the movie consisted of him asking if I'd like to go see this for Father's Day. It's the thought that counts, though. I was pretty excited that he took the initiative.

This reminds me of my younger brother growing up. For Christmas or Mother's Day, he'd go shopping with my Dad. He'd get my mom a nice ring or a clock on the mantel. It always cost him five dollars....

[megladon8]

That's awesome, KF.

I hope you two have a great time, regardless of the quality of the movie.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Abrams traipses through the iconography of Spielberg (kids on bikes, spaceships at night, suburban upheaval) with the elements intact, if not always the heart. Part of the problem is that Abrams is more about wow-moments and mystery for its own sake (what does the monster look like? what does the box do? what's the connection between these two fathers?) than he is in communicating emotional development. Another part of the problem is that Abrams lacks gentility; his villains lack the dimension of Spielberg authoritarians (Keys from E. T., Vaughn from Jaws), and his alien murders and eats countless people while batting puppy-dog eyes at the hero. Still, the film works, in large part to the naturalism and success with the children's performances. These kids are eager, smart, and good-hearted, and they drive much of the action. Immediately after watching the film, two parts stay with me. Firstly, when we finally see the Super 8 project, in all its endearing glory. Secondly, in a perfect moment of Bradbury-ish nostalgia, a child waves goodbye to his friend, gets on his bike, crosses the street, and parks, because of course, by then, he's home.

B

[Chac Mool]

I enjoyed this -- a lot. It's a great little throwback to a not-so-long-ago when movies looked the same but felt different: a little more heartfelt without being forced, a little more gentle without being soft, and just as exciting without being gruesome. It's far from a perfect film (like most Abrams movies, it feels a little slight and undeveloped, more like a lengthy TV production than a feature) but it's hard not to like it.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I liked this a lot. The kids totally won me over. They were fantastic. Sure the movie has problems. The father-son denouement felt really cheap and unearned, more depth should have been mined from the mother-son relationship and the scar that left behind, etc. In fact, other than that first young romance (which is captured beautifully), the emotional core of the film is neglected in favor of adventure and thrills. This was okay with me, because the thrills worked well, and it led to the strongest focus of the film. Where the film completely succeeds is in capturing the invincibility of youth. There's a certain naiveté that is imperative for kids, and it's the ability to disbelieve their own mortality. Everything becomes an adventure, even in the face of great danger. Abrams nailed this feeling.

I'm holding out hope that at some point, Abrams will craft something that works on every level, but until then, this will do me just fine as pure entertainment.

[eternity]

I liked this a lot. The kids totally won me over. They were fantastic. Sure the movie has problems. The father-son denouement felt really cheap and unearned, more depth should have been mined from the mother-son relationship and the scar that left behind, etc. In fact, other than that first young romance (which is captured beautifully), the emotional core of the film is neglected in favor of adventure and thrills. This was okay with me, because the thrills worked well, and it led to the strongest focus of the film. Where the film completely succeeds is in capturing the invincibility of youth. There's a certain naiveté that is imperative for kids, and it's the ability to disbelieve their own mortality. Everything becomes an adventure, even in the face of great danger. Abrams nailed this feeling.

I'm holding out hope that at some point, Abrams will craft something that works on every level, but until then, this will do me just fine as pure entertainment.

Hah.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Hah.

Welcome to Pun City. I'm the unintentional Mayor.

[Spinal]

Soooo good. I thought this was completely successful as an action film and a love story. The replication of an early 80s family thriller was uncanny. I felt like I was watching a lost film from 25 years ago. Only the improved special effects and a few coy jokes give it away. The art direction, the costuming, the direction ... all stellar. And such poignancy in the ending. Not a new idea, of course, but by God, what a beautiful image. Excellent performances from Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning. Loved it.

[Spinal]

I wanted a sloppy meta blockbuster, and it was trying so hard to be both, tonally, that it materialized to neither.

Oh god, I was so glad this wasn't meta. Sincere > meta.

[Raiders]

It kills me I have had to wait so long to see this. Not happening until Saturday.

[MadMan]

I'm still digesting my thoughts, but one thing that sticks out at me is how this movie properly engages its audience. It trusts that we will be able to really become interested in the material, and that JJ and Spielberg would do something truly spectacular and meaningful, which is what this movie turned out to be. But I also love Super 8 because, unlike Transformers, which Spielberg is also producing, its doesn't feel the need to be bomblastic and loud, afraid that if something doesn't happen every five minutes the audience will lose interest and not watch.

Also those kid actors were excellent.

[EyesWideOpen]

I loved the film. My only major complaint is the train crash. It went on for far too long and was too overblown.

[Dukefrukem]

I loved the film. My only major complaint is the train crash. It went on for far too long and was too overblown.

Yes. Was it going 300 mph??