Super 8


3.5/4

Starring: Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard

Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Sci-Fi Action and Violence, Language and Some Drug Use

“Super 8” is probably the only truly original action flick to hit screens this year.  It’s not a remake/reboot, sequel, nor is it based on a book or comic series or anything else but J.J. Abrams’ pen.  Nor is it formulaic for that matter (which is especially nice, considering that every movie out there is a film version of something).  This is probably the best summer movie to come along in a while.

Charles (Griffiths) is a teenage filmmaker who is shooting a zombie movie on his camera with his friends, Joe (Joel Courtney), Cary (Ryan Lee), Preston (Zach Mills) and Martin (Gabriel Basso).  School has just let out when Charles enlists a pretty girl in their class, Alice (Fanning) to play a female role.  While shooting at the train station, a truck drives onto the railway tracks causing a massive crash.  Things start getting weird when the military shows up, dogs start running away and things around town made of metal (microwaves, car engines, etc) start going missing.  It seems that the military has been keeping a few secrets, but much to the annoyance of newly-in-charge police officer Jackson Lamb (Chandler), they’re keeping themselves tight-lipped.

The film is being marketed as a sci-fi horror/thriller, and that’s not really accurate.  Sure, it’s exciting and there are more than a few action scenes, but “Alien” it is not.  Nor is it trying to be.  It’s like a mix of “ET” and “Independence Day,” and in that respect, the film works.

The child actors take center stage, and they’re more than up to the task.  They’re mostly unknowns (Fanning is making a name for herself just like her sister Dakota), but they’re effective actors.  It’s easy to get involved in their story.  The action scenes have a bigger punch because we like the characters.  The romance between Joe and Alice is also nicely played.  The adult actors are also effective (Chandler as the cop who is also Joe’s dad and Eldard as Alice’s alcoholic father).

J.J. Abrams has made a name for himself on TV with hit shows like “Alias,” “Lost,” and “Fringe.”  Unlike some film directors, his transition into feature films has been seamless.  His “Star Trek” reboot was entertaining, but “Super 8” is unquestionably better.  It’s well told, exciting, and it really draws you into the story.  The emotional component of the story isn’t particularly strong and Ryan Lee, who plays the pyromaniac Cary is a little annoying, but these are small quibbles.

Trust me, see “Super 8.”  It’s a lot of fun.

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