Super 8

When a group of kids sneak out of their house to work on a Super 8 film they plan to submit to an international film festival, they witness a train crash that will turn their quiet town upside down as the air force descends on them to deal with the clean up.

As the kids try to work the crash into their script, they unwittingly start to unravel a conspiracy, and find one of their number taken by the alien entity the government is trying to recapture and cover up. In saving her, they come to realize that not all things alien are inherently bad.

My Thoughts:

J.J. Abrams can be pretty hit or miss for me. But this movie is better than I expected. With all the hype, I was a little worried it was being over sold, and while I don’t believe it’s the best movie I’ve ever seen, it is extremely enjoyable and overall, a good SF/Adventure movie.

I wouldn’t call this movie a Goonies for the new generation, though I can understand why many make that correlation. There’s something very akin to the adventure that group of kids takes, but this movie has something else. Something that feels inherently other. There’s a darkness to this movie that the Goonies didn’t have. And in some ways, I think that makes this a better movie.

Can we take a step back and realize that Elle Fanning is only twelve in this? I’m not sure whether to be impressed by her amazing acting ability… or scared that that little girl is ONLY twelve! She does not look that young.

Run Time: 113 minutes