Super 8 ~ A Geekcentric Review
I’m not sure exactly when I became the official movie reviewer here at Geekcentricity, but with a summer like this one, it’s easy to do. Snuggled right in between the titans of Marvel and DC, JJ Abrams comes out strong with a wonderful film about love, loss, and yearning that harkens back to the foul-mouthed teenager in all of us.
SETTING
It’s hard to imagine, but in all technicality Super 8 is a period piece. This is apparent with the attention to detail and exquisite film work of JJ Abrams as he re-creates 1979 Ohio. The clothes, the cars, the toys, this era-gone-by is still a primo choice for storytelling. It brings me back to the genius of the late Freaks and Geeks, a time when spending all day outside roaming the town wasn’t all that uncommon.
The conspiracy nuts can enjoy the government cover-up aspect in this alternate history of the ALLEGED alien body storage facility as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. You can find a ludicrous amount of information on that with just a Google search.
Don’t forget, for the fan of JJ Abram’s super-ultra-megahit TV Show LOST, there are many many references and Easter eggs to find within the confines of Super 8. One view is not going to be enough to catch them all.
PLOT
Super 8 is not a monster movie…I repeat…SUPER 8 IS NOT A MONSTER MOVIE. Don’t go in expecting a horror flick full of torture porn or liberal dismemberment scenes. Super 8 is a film about a boy who’s dealing with the loss of his mother while struggling to reconnect with his father and finding himself at the same time. The monster is entirely a B storyline. This reviewer found the plot to be entirely satisfying and devoid of plot holes or frivolous plot devices. There’s no doubt that JJ Abrams is an expert storyteller and Super 8 is just the next step in a hopefully long and fruitful career.
CHARACTERS
The kids involved in Super 8 were all amazing. I’m usually weary of child actors, but at no point in time did these kids feel forced or unnatural. Some of the adults, on the other hand, not so much. Namely Kyle Chandler, the father of the main character and the town Deputy Sheriff. Not only did the character not develop in anything close to a reasonable way, but when I look back on Friday Night Lights and the thankfully-short-lived Early Edition, I honestly don’t know why this guy keeps getting work.
PACE
Super 8 is crafted well being just shy of two hours and worth every minute. It’s rare the film that completely satisfies my need for coherent and complete story without ever dragging. The progressing is logical and blends the action, comedy, and drama in a wonderful blend that captures the emotional roller coaster of adolescence superbly.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Equal parts Stand by Me, Cloverfield, and E.T., this gem of a movie really engages the viewer. Super 8 isn’t brainy and certain won’t make a grab at the viewer’s intelligence, but the emotional story, blended with Feel-Good-Spielberg and teenage angst, is certainly relatable to all.
Lest we forget…favorite out-of-context quote: “Drugs are SO BAD!”
