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Few filmmakers have ever had a run at the tables like Steven Spielberg, whose output from 1971's Sugarland Express to, say, 1982's E.T. displayed an amazingly unforced melding of huge set pieces and small human gestures. Even at their most chaotic, they somehow felt organic. Super 8, writer-director J.J. Abrams's authorized tribute to classic Spielbergisms, hits all of the marks (Lived-in suburbia backdrop, check. Awestruck gazes upwards, check. Parental discord, check. Lens flares, amazingly huge check), but its adherence to the formula squelches much of its own potential. Appealing as it is to see a summer movie that retro-prioritizes character development over jittery quick-cut explosions, the viewer is always aware at how furiously it's working to seem effortless. Set in 1979, Abrams's script follows a group of movie-crazy kids attempting to make a zombie flick, only to have their plans cut short by a close encounter with a train derailment. As the military pours over the wreckage and neighbors start disappearing, the gang realizes that their footage contains a cameo appearance by an extremely grumpy guest star. For a film whose promotional campaign hinged so strongly on creating an air of mystery, Super 8 is a fairly straightforward melding of E.T. and Jurassic Park, albeit one featuring an oddly schizophrenic monster (he eats people… until he doesn't). Abrams makes his young cast shine (particularly when developing a hint of romance between leads Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning), while also providing a nice character arc for Kyle Chandler, as a widowed deputy who can see his relationship with his son slipping away. Aside from a few primo early jolts, however, the creature-feature aspects feel increasingly shoehorned in alongside the more assured coming-of-age elements. Abrams's film has more than enough bright spots to warrant a viewing, but its insistence on worshipfully following the master's playbook is a bit of a bummer. Imitation isn't always flattering. --Andrew Wright
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Synopsis: J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg join forces in this extraordinary tale of youth, mystery and adventure. Super 8 tells the story of six friends who witness a train wreck while making a super 8 movie, only to discover that something unimaginable escaped during the crash. They soon discover that the only thing more mysterious than what it is, is what it wants. Experience the film that critics rave is "filled with unstoppable imagination and visual effects to spare. It will put a spell on you." - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Bonus Features: * Commentary: Commentary by J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, and Larry Fong * Featurette: Featurettes HD * Featurette: Deconstructing The Train Crash * Additional Scenes: Deleted Scenes HD
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing,
This review is from: Super 8 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
I saw the film the first weekend it came out. It was amazing then. It was even more amazing when I watched it on Blu-ray. The effects enhanced the well-written and well-directed story. The special features were great, especially how they focused on the kids' relationships with each other and on the town the filmmakers used to represent the setting.Film - A+ Special Features - A
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie and a trip down memory lane,
By
This review is from: Super 8 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
I love sci fi movies and this one is a story that took me back to my childhood (60s) and the story reminded me of the fun I had the first time I saw ET. To me Super 8 has the same magic... with good kids and evil adults (army)...The DTS 7.1 sound is truly amazing and the train wreck has got to be experienced on a good surround system. PA
4.0 out of 5 stars
Feels like Spielberg and Stephen King,
By
This review is from: Super 8 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
Video:Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video resolution: 1080p Aspect ratio: 2.40:1 Audio: English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 French, Portuguese, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish. Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc DVD copy Digital copy (on disc) BD-Live D-Box Playback: Region free Although it's listed as a science fiction thriller, Super 8 is an ideal family movie. The main characters are children and we are given enough information to identify with them. Even if we weren't like any of them ourselves, we almost certainly went to school with similar children. The movie feels like a combination of Stand by Me and some of the best Steven Spielberg stories, such as E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The story feels like it could have been written by Stephen King and contains a slice of small-town America, combined with a fantasy element. The opening scene mentions an accident at a steel mill in which Elizabeth Lamb is killed. Her husband, Jackson (Kyle Chandler), is a deputy, and her son, Joe (Joel Courtney), is helping his friends make a movie. We spend a lot of time with these children and events are seen from their viewpoint. The group enlists Alice (Elle Fanning) to play a role in their movie and she impresses them with her superior acting ability. Joe starts to develop feelings for her and it's this relationship which drives the story. One of the most memorable scenes comes early in the movie. While the kids are filming, a train approaches. Charles (Riley Griffiths), who is the director, wants to shoot a scene while the train is passing. A truck drives onto the tracks in front of the train and causes a massive accident. The scene is spectacular and will rock your home theater. After surviving the accident, the kids notice a carriage on its side and something is pounding on the walls from within. That's the setup and I don't think there's any need to ruin things by giving away any more of the story. Courtney and Fanning give strong performances and their developing friendship is believable. Alice's father is a source of conflict and Joe's father has a role to play in the safety of the town. Part of the fun is watching events unfold and trying to solve the mystery. What is causing these things to happen? Why are people and animals disappearing? Super 8 evokes a special feeling. It's partly nostalgia as we remember friendships in our childhood, and the movie feels as if it belongs in the 70s or early 80s. Technology wasn't as advanced as it is now and there is a closeness between the people in the town that is rare to see in today's world. The friendship between the children makes everything work and it feels authentic. Although the early part of the movie relies on special effects, there is a real story here with a little depth. If you like Spielberg's classic movies, you'll probably enjoy what Abrams has done. If you were wondering whether Abrams includes lens flares like he did in Star Trek, they are present throughout the movie.
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