J.J. Abrams' Super 8 (2011)

[soitgoes...]

"I got you."

[soitgoes...]

That would be:

8, Babydoll, irish, soitgoes, trans would be on the list but he is already confirmed to have hated it.

Weird that I'd be included in this list. I mean sure, I'm not hot on the film, but I do like quite a few blockbuster films, and I'm a pretty big fan of Spielberg's films (who everyone says Abrams modeled this film on). I guess you ended up having more insight into me than I have, so there's that.

[Kurosawa Fan]

"I got you."

Yeah, dreadful moment. Totally unearned. Also totally excusable due to the film's other successes.

[Rowland]

Hmm, I don't remember the context of "I got you." On the other hand, [

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I thought that Fanning's father crying out "I'm sorry!" the moment before he crashes his car was an affecting scene.

]

[Spinal]

I'm unclear as to what's wrong with that line. Seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to be said at that moment.

[D_Davis]

I'm unclear as to what's wrong with that line. Seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to be said at that moment.

Your fanboy reaction is obviously clouding your judgment.

[Spinal]

Your fanboy reaction is obviously clouding your judgment.

That's me. I sleep in J.J. Abrams pajamas.

[D_Davis]

That's me. I sleep in J.J. Abrams pajamas.

Yeah. You're a total super fan. I remember when you were all "Lost this.." "Lost that..."

Man, it was got sooooo annoying.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I'm unclear as to what's wrong with that line. Seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to be said at that moment.

I don't think it's the line itself, but the way the scene is presented.

[

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It seemed to imply that some sort of emotion bridge had been gapped by the father and son, when in reality, the film offered no evidence of this. Joe had been neglected emotionally by his father, and that never changed. Even when his father escapes military capture, the first thing he does upon making it to the evacuation point was talk about what the military was doing, rather than look for or ask about his son. His deputy has to interrupt him and tell him what happened to Joe before he shows concern. Joe manages the entire situation just fine on his own, and so when his father arrives after everything is drawing to a close and behaves as though Joe needed the security of his father, it feels cheap and unearned. His father has done nothing to deserve that moment of catharsis, and the poignancy of that scene comes from Joe and Alice holding hands.

]

That was my take on it, anyway. Still, really liked the movie, and it has settled really well. My son and I were quoting moments from the kids while eating lunch this afternoon.

[soitgoes...]

I don't think it's the line itself, but the way the scene is presented.

[

Show Spoiler

It seemed to imply that some sort of emotion bridge had been gapped by the father and son, when in reality, the film offered no evidence of this. Joe had been neglected emotionally by his father, and that never changed. Even when his father escapes military capture, the first thing he does upon making it to the evacuation point was talk about what the military was doing, rather than look for or ask about his son. His deputy has to interrupt him and tell him what happened to Joe before he shows concern. Joe manages the entire situation just fine on his own, and so when his father arrives after everything is drawing to a close and behaves as though Joe needed the security of his father, it feels cheap and unearned. His father has done nothing to deserve that moment of catharsis, and the poignancy of that scene comes from Joe and Alice holding hands.

]

That was my take on it, anyway. Still, really liked the movie, and it has settled really well. My son and I were quoting moments from the kids while eating lunch this afternoon.

Your take is pretty much dead on. [

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Also the father's forgiveness of Alice's dad also was unearned. That whole bit just seemed like Abrams was grasping for some real sentimentality, but it all rang so false with me that it really killed what was the emotional crescendo of the film.

]

[Spinal]

Both those moments worked for me. I thought they were honest. Ah well.

[megladon8]

Fanboy.

[Spinal]

And doesn't the fact that the son faced up to greater horrors than the father could imagine just make his attempt to re-establish his parental responsibility all the more compelling? It does for me.

[Spinal]

Fanboy.

Excuse me, that's hipster emo fanboy.

[soitgoes...]

And doesn't the fact that the son faced up to greater horrors than the father could imagine just make his attempt to re-establish his parental responsibility all the more compelling? It does for me.

[

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No it feels misplaced, as if Abrams knew he needed to ramp up the emotional state of the film after Joe and the aliens meeting (which was handled far better), and he needed to tie up the father/son storyline because he was running out of time to do it. The last conversation Joe and his father had was the dad telling Joe that under no circumstance must Joe see Alice. Period. What changed between them from that moment to their hug? A bunch of alien shit, but most of that the dad was ignorant of. The dad was busy becoming BFF's with his most hated enemy, again with zero reasoning as to why.

]

[Spinal]

[

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No it feels misplaced, as if Abrams knew he needed to ramp up the emotional state of the film after Joe and the aliens meeting (which was handled far better), and he needed to tie up the father/son storyline because he was running out of time to do it. The last conversation Joe and his father had was the dad telling Joe that under no circumstance must Joe see Alice. Period. What changed between them from that moment to their hug? A bunch of alien shit, but most of that the dad was ignorant of. The dad was busy becoming BFF's with his most hated enemy, again with zero reasoning as to why.

]

Well, boy, I respectfully disagree.

[

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It's pretty obvious why the two dads unite. Enemies are united by a threat that is greater than the both of them. Through an encounter with a dangerous alien creature, they find that their past bickering seems small and petty. They find that they are capable of forgiveness. I don't think they are becoming best friends. I think that they are uncomfortable allies, willing to set aside their differences out of love for their children.

The deputy dad doesn't know all that his son has done. What he does know is that his son has acted with courage and valor to save his friend. He recognizes that the love and moral strength that his son must possess is enormous. He knows that his son has risen to the occasion because he himself has been absent as a father emotionally. His words to his son come too late, but they are everything that he wants to be true.

]

It's really quite an extraordinary ending. I'm surprised that some of you felt let down.

[Rowland]

That was my take on it, anyway. Still, really liked the movie, and it has settled really well. My son and I were quoting moments from the kids while eating lunch this afternoon.

Oh my god, drugs are SO bad!

[Watashi]

I could get back into disco.

[Pop Trash]

It's really quite an extraordinary ending. I'm surprised that some of you felt let down.

I felt like some of the sentimentality (earned or unearned depending on your vantage point) was simply more Spielberg homage, so it worked for me.

[Spinal]

It's weird, but the Spielberg film this reminded me of most was War of the Worlds. Which is not one from the Spielberg 'golden age' obviously. Maybe it was the Fanning presence.

[Pop Trash]

It's weird, but the Spielberg film this reminded me of most was War of the Worlds. Which is not one from the Spielberg 'golden age' obviously. Maybe it was the Fanning presence.

Oh man...but Elle's performance here is SO much better than Dakota's was in WotW. Screeeeeeech!!! I blame Spielberg more for that than Dakota though.

[Spinal]

Oh man...but Elle's performance here is SO much better than Dakota's was in WotW. Screeeeeeech!!! I blame Spielberg more for that than Dakota though.

I don't think Dakota was bad, but I agree that Elle was much better. Abrams certainly gets better performances from his kid actors than Spielberg generally did. Far less cloying.

[MadMan]

I didn't have any problems with the last act and ending at all. I think the only reason I didn't give it a 100 or **** was because in the end, I just didn't feel it was worthy of such a high rating. Maybe I'd have to rewatch the movie again, but I didn't think any elements were particularly bad or felt forced. When I think about it though, I kind of wonder why I love so many of Spielberg's movies when I don't have any father issues, something that is obviously stated in most of his work, even this one, which he merely produced.

[soitgoes...]

I think the only reason I didn't give it a 100 or **** was because in the end, I just didn't feel it was worthy of such a high rating.

Totally. :lol:

[transmogrifier]

I didn't have any problems with the last act and ending at all. I think the only reason I didn't give it a 100 or **** was because in the end, I just didn't feel it was worthy of such a high rating.

I'm not sure there is a better example than this to demonstrate the adjective "Madmanesque"