If you grew up in the ‘70‘s or ‘80‘s, then ‘Super 8’ will make you feel ten years old again. This is because it is soaked in nostalgia, a real coming-of-age fable that reminds you of movies like ‘E.T.,‘ ‘The Goonies‘ and ‘Stand By Me.‘ Writer/director J.J. Abrams has captured an almost perfect tribute to his mentor (and producer) Steven Spielberg who was at the helm of some of the most defining movies of that age.
Set in 1979, a group of small town kids are in the midst of making a D-grade zombie movie with their borrowed super 8 camera. Along with a few others there is Joe (Joel Courtney), the sensitive makeup artist and model-builder; Alice (Elle Fanning), the reluctant leading lady with a difficult home situation; and Charles (Riley Griffiths), the overweight writer/director. Their horror movie provides an introduction to a truly terrifying event - while they are filming late at night, a spectacular train crash occurs leading to the escape of the train’s dangerous cargo.
With so many of the plot details being hidden before the release of the movie, I won’t spoil the surprise and tell you exactly what does escape. Suffice to say that frightening events start to happen around town, with people and dogs going missing. Just as Spielberg has done previously, Abrams keeps his audience on edge by remembering there is still no special effect as powerful as your imagination. Instead, suspense is built up through subtle plot twists, music and what you don’t see. There are some truly scary moments in this film, and honestly the PG-13 rating seems a little light in this regard.
Yet, Spielberg’s movies in that era became famous not just because of a supernatural-type mystery, but because there was a group of adolescents working together to solve it while simultaneously dealing with their own emotional struggles and family conflicts. Spielberg was always so emotionally earnest and he made you care deeply about the central characters. Abrams follows in the footsteps of his mentor here as well. Joe is having difficulties relating to his father, Jack (Kyle Chandler), a deputy sheriff in the small town. Alice’s home life is even darker as her father is a drunk. Both of them ‘find themselves’ as they grow up during the course of events, and you cannot help but root for them wholeheartedly. The film’s major weakness, which is encapsulated in its spotty ending, is that some of the family dramas are worked out a little too neatly and easily to be realistic. Still, seeing the emotional awakening happening in both children and adults is always rewarding, as is the affirmation of values like love, courage and sacrifice.
‘Super 8’ is a movie filled with thrills, spills and more than a little nostalgia. It is reminiscent of the kind of movie that made an entire generation fall in love with movies. The kind of movie that moved you while also ‘wowing’ you. To be honest, this nostalgia probably gifts ‘Super 8’ with a little more leeway than otherwise would be given, because it certainly does have its weaknesses. Happily these are not enough to detract from a very enjoyable story. Three and a half stars out of five.