It is believe (and most would agree) that Spielberg did his best work with his involvement in films in the late 80’s and 90’s with such highlights as Goonies, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park to name just a few. They had a certain magic to them. They were films made for families but never insulting the audience by dumbing it down. They were made for families, but not kiddy. They captured the spirit of adventure with all its humor and action. Since then that spirit has fizzled out of Hollywood and replaced with elaborate and mindless action sequences to keep a low-attention span audience entertained.
JJ Abrams hopes to bring that spirit back and the films he has been releasing really show it. Super 8 is no exception to this rule and carries with it the same emotion and feel of adventure that so many films of the past once entertained us with.
The film takes place in a small town where a military train crashes, unleashing a destructive, yet elusive monster. With the film taking place in a small town there is little room for giant, explosive set pieces that fill so many of the latest blockbusters. But the action sequences with the creature are far from small. JJ has captured the perfect middle ground, keeping the action intense and epic in nature without going overboard. Many of these scenes are likely too intense for younger children, but for everyone else it’s sure to make you grip your overpriced popcorn bucket in suspense. And there is enough humor and character drama to really carry the film on its own. Speaking of characters, I’m not sure how they did it but they managed to find child actors who can actually…well…act! The group of kids who take center stage in the story do an exceptional job displaying more emotions than half the grown up actors in other films lately.
Over all, it was a fun film with lots of edge of your seat action and deep emotional character interaction. It captures a bit of that childhood innocence and combines it with a theme of letting things go and that not everything is at it appears.
10/10
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