Blockbuster season continues but is Super 8 any different from all the rest?
If you're looking for a summer blockbuster this year that doesn't have superheroes or wizards in it, then Super 8 might be just the film for you.
Written and directed by JJ Abrams Super 8 is the story of a group of young boys who spend a summer trying to make their own movie. Joe, played by (Joel Courtney), is our hero and his gang of friends spend all their time, money and effort creating their own zombie flick, even managing to rope in the prettiest girl at school, Alice (Ellie Fanning), to star alongside them.
While filming on location at an abandoned train station the group encounter a terrifying train crash. Running for cover they leave behind the camera, which captures everything. Reviewing the footage they catch a glimpse of something which when combined with the strange phenomena occurring all over town, dogs going missing, people disappearing, leads them into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with, well I won't say anymore...
SPOILERS!
JJ Abrams is the man behind TV shows like Fringe, Alias and Lost, but is equally as prolific when it comes to movies with hit films like Star Trek, Mission Impossible III and Cloverfield under his belt. If you've seen any of these shows or films then you'll be well versed in Abrams style, both visually and thematically. You either love him or hate him, and for anyone wondering about how Super 8 fits into this oeuvre, well it’s more of the same.
Aesthetically the film is typified by overused lens flare, an old Spielberg trick that all but obliterated the visuals in Star Trek. Next up is the mystery creature - if you've seen Cloverfield or Lost then you won't be surprised to know that the old adage 'less is more' is taken to new levels by Abrams who excels at showing us, well, pretty much nothing. As for the rest of the film, well it’s a mishmash of everything you loved about Stand by Me, E.T. and Close Encounters.
Spielberg produced Super 8 so it's fair to say his fingerprints are all over it, but nevertheless I'm still not entirely sure I understand the point of the film. If we consider it a homage then that’s fine, but the original films it references are not out of the popular consciousness, so it seems pointless. If a band made an album that was a homage to Sgt. Pepper and it wasn't nearly as good as the original, you'd think why did they bother? You'd just go and listen to the original right? It's not even like Abrams is modernising these films for today’s audience - Super 8 is set in the late '70s/early '80s, so if anything it occurs in the same time period as E.T. for example.
The film's saving grace are the brilliant performances from the two leads Joel Courtney and Ellie Fanning. They are superb in their roles, conveying an emotional depth and dramatic capability well beyond their years. If you like JJ Abrams, then run to the cinema, you won’t be disappointed, if not, get some old Spielberg DVDs out and save yourself some money.
Super 8 is showing now at a cinema near you.