The first trailer for Super 8 had many a fan like myself foaming at the mouth thinking it was something to do with 'Cloverfield.' Another movie Director/Writer J.J Abraham's had his hands in, though the Cloverfield idea didn't pan out with direct connection it still might in the future and we still got a great look back at a long lost genre with Super 8.
Some may think the 'Monster Movie' genre isn't long lost and it isn't but the young teen focused adventure movie has been. Super 8 reminded me allot of 'The Goonies' with it's cast of young kids each having there on distinct personality and traits. This is the high point for Super 8 -- it has great acting -- and it won't let you down with any of it's funny one liners. Unfortunately the films high point was also its low point but I'll get back to that.
Super 8 has the cast of young characters working on a film on there Super 8 camera when they witness a huge train crash occur and by huge I mean huge. The train crash sequence in it self was a triumph with its ability to get your heart racing and yet still keep the innocence of the characters rolling.
 |
| Ellie Fanning as Alice Dainard and Joel Courtney as Joe Lamb are viewing a scene |
The film then moves along at a great pace until somewhere in the latter half where I stopped caring about the 'monster' element of the film all together. Caused by the great writing and acting by the main cast I didn't care about the sudden eruption and full focus on being a monster movie and wanted it back to being a half and half affair like it was in the beginning. For all the set-up and focus the trailers and promotion I had seen before entering the cinema soon after sitting down I was to much enjoying seeing little of the monster prodding around the town and seeing more of the kids goings on as it was all happening. This is not to say I wanted the monster out at all, I'm simply saying the film jumps from a half-n-half affair with the monster to a full on one to quickly and Super 8 quickly loses it's great dialogue and interesting characters to a half decent movie.
On the home front as well being set in a period long gone for some Super 8 contains some funny one liners about the time and a great soundtrack to match. Though a joke about a Walkman sometime through the film just felt to pushed unlike the other seemingly natural jokes.
Super 8 also match's the period not only feeling and sounding like a late 70's early 80's movie it also looks it. Everything from the camera movement to the filters used makes Super 8 more and more faithful to the period. Though of course it wasn't shot on Super 8 and thus the film looks crisp and clear but still all the above makes it a great fitting for the time.
 |
| Ryan Lee (Cary) & Charles (Riley Griffths) make up two of the funnies |
Acting: 8.5
Writing: 8.0
Direction: 7.5
Production: 8.5
Overall: 7.5
No comments:
Post a Comment