Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Sci-Fi
Action and Violence, Language and Some Drug Use)
Running Time: 1 Hour & 52 Minutes
Cast:
Joel Courtney-Joe Lamb
Elle Fanning-Alice Dainard
Kyle Chandler-Jackson Lamb
Riley Griffiths-Charles Kaznyk
Ryan Lee-Cary
Gabriel Basso-Martin
Zach Mills-Preston
Ron Eldard-Louis Dainard
Amanda Michalka-Jen Kaznyk
Noah Emmerich-Colonel Nelec
Glynn Turman-Dr. Woodward
David Gallagher-Donny
Directed by J.J. Abrams
 |
| J.J. Abrams' "Super 8" recalls many classic Spielberg films such as "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." |
I think we can all agree that we’ve seen
either “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” or “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and
if you haven’t, I must ask whether you’ve been living under a rock for the past
three decades. J.J. Abrams’ latest film, “Super 8” is a loving homage to its
producer, Steven Spielberg, and recalls his early work from the late
1970’s/early 1980’s when special effects were just coming into their own. It
harkens back to a simpler era when aspiring filmmakers experimented with new
ways of storytelling and science-fiction was actually about something. ‘Abrams
remembers the simple rule that a majority of his contemporaries have forgotten:
action and mayhem have meaning only when an audience cares about the people
trapped within the maelstrom’ (James Berardinelli, ReelViews). It is also a
tribute to cinema, as the Super 8 camera allowed Spielberg, George Lucas and
numerous others to pursue their dreams of making movies. Above all, “Super 8”
has the one thing that is lost in modern summer blockbusters: heart and soul.
“Super 8” is set in 1979 in the fictional small town of Lillian, Ohio and
begins with the death of Joe Lamb’s (Joel Courtney) mother in a factory
accident, leaving his father, Jackson (Kyle Chandler), a deputy sheriff, to
take care of him. Jackson blames the death of his wife on another factory worker,
an alcoholic named Louis Dainard (Ron Eldard). Four months after the funeral,
school is let out for summer vacation. Joe and his friends, Charles Kaznyk
(Riley Griffiths), Carey (Ryan Lee), Preston (Zach Mills), and Martin (Gabriel
Basso), are using a Super 8 camera to shoot a secret zombie movie to be entered
at a local film festival. Charles invites one of his classmates, Alice Dainard
(Elle Fanning), who is Louis’ daughter, to be the female lead, feeling that his
movie needs a dramatic element (smart thinking!). They all sneak out in the
middle of the night and meet up at a nearby train station to shoot a scene. A
speeding cargo train starts to pass by and Charles decides to add it into his
movie as ambiance. However, Joe notices a white truck heading straight for the
train and the two collide, causing the train to explosively derail, sending
cargo and debris flying in all directions. The Air Force arrives almost
immediately, led by Colonel Nelec (Noah Emmerich), who quarantines the area and
begins retrieving the scattered cargo. However, strange occurrences begin to
happen across town. Blackouts occur, people and dogs go missing, and
electronics everywhere are being stolen. Something has escaped from the
wreckage and Joe and his friends find themselves caught up in the chaos as
their small town turns into a warzone.
SOME MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW! The closest
analogue to “Super 8” would be Matt Reeves’ 2007 disaster-monster flick
“Cloverfield” (which Abrams produced) but it also contains elements from Richard
Donner’s “The Goonies” and Spielberg’s own “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and
“Jaws.” Like “The Goonies,” you have a colorful band of children on an
adventure, although instead of hunting for treasure, they’re shooting a film.
The creature, whose design is reminiscent of the one from “Cloverfield,” lacks
the benevolence found in E.T. buts its ultimate goal harkens back to
Spielberg’s 1982 classic. Abrams' film also deliberately recalls the ideas and themes of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," such as the inability to
transcend our prejudices and accept those who are different, the ease of
utilizing violence to satisfy our own curiosity or advance our own race at the
expense of others, and how a child’s innocence, free of the complexities and
cynicism of reality, can surmount impossible barriers, even ones that span
light-years. END SPOILERS!
For much of its two-hour running time, "Super 8" takes a
less-is-more approach similar to “Jaws” with the creature, offering only
blurred glimpses before the big reveal. Although this was necessitated in
“Jaws” due to the 'fakeness' of the mechanical shark, this is a smart move by
Abrams because you don’t want to play your hand too early. Besides, the
creature is not the focus and the heart and soul of the film lies in its
characters. Joe Lamb struggles to let go of his mother and accept that sometimes
bad things happen to people without any explanation but one must never judge
the whole of a person (or the entirety of a race) based on the actions of a
few. It’s not exactly subtle and sometimes Abrams gets too nostalgic that it
prevents him from adding his personal stamp but it all works because of its
earnest sincerity. In addition to paying homage to Spielberg, “Super 8” is also
a loving tribute to everyone who was inspired by their favorite director to
pick up a camera and shoot a ‘movie’ in their own backyard. It also subtly
makes a jab at modern blockbusters and points to the importance of having a
strong dramatic element to allow the audience to relate to what’s happening.
Abrams’ film features polished production values but the special effects never
bludgeon us to death. There is the ever-present lens flare that sometimes
proves a bit distracting. The main set-piece is the train derailment and it is
spectacularly well-done. The small town ends up being a warzone during the
final act and it’s suitably chaotic as tanks roll in and all manner of
explosions take place but all of it occurs on the peripheral—the camera is
never far removed from Joe and his friends. The creature stands up to close
scrutiny even if it is obviously CG.
The cast is largely composed of newcomers
and this allows them to slip into their characters without the danger of
recognition. As Joe Lamb, Joel Courtney captures the sensibilities of a simpler
time but his experiences allow us to recall our own childhood as well, such as
the complex relationship between father and son, the feeling of alienation due
to the loss of a loved one, and the experiences of having your first crush even
as you discover who you are as an individual. As the sole bright spot in Sophia
Coppola’s banal film “Somewhere,” Elle Fanning continues to impress with the
amount of maturity and nuance she imbues in her roles. Her burgeoning
relationship with Joe as they struggle to overcome the consequences of his
mother’s death forms the emotional centerpiece of the film. The rest of the
young cast fill the usual kid archetypes—Griffiths is the bossy one and rival
romance interest to Joe, Carey serves as the comic relief with his pyromaniac
tendencies, Mills is the cautious type and Martin is the nerd. Individually,
they don’t amount to much but together, their camaraderie provides many of the
film’s light-hearted moments. The adult characters are secondary, serving
mainly as exposition and plot devices but Kyle Chandler does a fine job as a
grieving father caught in an impossible situation.
“Super 8” was released on
June 10, 2011 and has received positive reviews with a solid 82% on Rotten
Tomatoes. Critics found that ‘it may evoke memories of classic summer
blockbusters a little too eagerly for some, but [the film] has thrills, visual
dazzle, and emotional depth to spare.’ The real question is whether audiences
will embrace it. A similar situation occurred with 2006’s quasi-sequel
“Superman Returns” in which Bryan Singer wanted to capture the spirit of the
original 1978 Richard Donner classic. Unfortunately, its antiquated mom-n-pop
sensibilities were met with a lukewarm response from modern audiences, although
personally I enjoyed it. Early estimates has “Super 8” on track for an opening
weekend of $35 to $40 million, which is on the low side for such a
heavily-marketed summer film but its production budget was only $50 million so
it should end up being a box office success for Paramount if it receives
positive word-of-mouth like "Cloverfield." Although “Super 8” has the
nostalgia factor in spades, the one thing it’s missing is that inexplicable
feeling of ‘movie magic’ that allowed many of Spielberg’s early films to become
instant classics. Abrams’ is unable to replicate such a feeling but he has
crafted a remarkable film that allows people young and old to experience a
bygone era of filmmaking, serving not only as a love letter to Spielberg and
cinema but also as living proof of the importance of emotionally resonating
with audiences in addition to providing spectacle.
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Louis Dainard: I saw it…no one believes
me.
Joe Lamb: I believe you.
Note: Make sure to stay during the end
credits to see Charles Kaznyk’s finished zombie flick!
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