In Hollywood, it is rare surprise to see a majority of film critics get together to gush over anyfilm, much less a sci-fi monster thriller, even if it is written & directed by J. J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg. It seems that Super 8 just happens to be one of those special films that not only looks damn cool in the trailers, but actually lives up to those trailers in the theater.
Super 8, starring Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Aj Michalka and Kyle Chandler, is set for release this Friday in both normal and IMAX versions. The movie focuses on a group of teenagers who witness a train crash while making a movie with a Super 8mm camera. Turns out the train was moving materials previously stored at Area 51 to a new location. After the crash, disappearances and all sorts of strange things start happening around town. The Scooby Doo kids, of course, become involved in the mystery of figuring out what is going on.
Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel has already called the film “one of those jaw-dropping out-of-body summer entertainments that kids old enough to swear and see PG-13 films will remember on into adulthood.” The luminary Robert Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times calls Super 8 a “wonderful film” and describes it as “like seeing a lost early Spielberg classic.” That’s a serious kind of compliment for any film, but we’re talking about a monster movie set in 1979 — a time period and subject matter that doesn’t really scream “jaw-dropping” at first glance. Now, that’s impressive.
According to ratings compiler RottenTomatoes.com, Super 8 has so far garnered an average ratings score of 83% among critics. Time magazine critic Richard Corliss calls Super 8 a “scary, artful thriller” and that’s saying something, because Corliss isn’t afraid to bash with the best of them.
So, our conclusion? Get the hell out there and see this movie because it looks like it’s going to be a blast!
