I knew nothing about Super 8 going in. I heard Spielberg was involved, J.J. Abrams was involved, and that they were making a movie called Super 8. That's all I needed. I can't remember the last time I walked into a summer Blockbuster knowing absolutely nothing about the plot or what I was about to see. And the experience was both satisfying and thought-provoking. Obviously, this is Abrams making a homage to the Spielberg movies he grew up on. And boy does it feel like Spielberg (the kids, the messy home life scenes, all the backlighting, the late monster reveal). It really did feel like we'd stepped back into the 1980s.
Overall, I thought the movie was good but not great. -- (Spoilers) -- The monster was oddly utilized, and I wasn't always sure what he was doing in the movie besides popping up every once in awhile to scare everyone. On the flip side of that, it was pretty damn ballsy to put all the emphasis on the drama and the character development. This was a love story and a friendship story and a broken family story way before it was a monster story. And I guess that leads to my biggest question. I'm bursting at the seams wanting to hear what the 18-24 demographic thought of this. These days, moviegoers are treated to a full-on shot of the monster 15 minutes into the film (or earlier - before the film is even released). How are impatient high school and college kids who are used to their fixes when and where they want them, reacting to having to wait the entire movie to see the monster? Cause I'm guessing some are furious and tabbing this the worst movie ever as a result. So, tell me, what'd you think?
And for everyone else, if you saw Super-8 this weekend, were you transported back to your Spielbergian youth? Or was this a cheap wanna-be copy of the master during his prime.
[ ] What the hell did I just read?
[ ] wasn’t for me
[xx] worth the watch
[ ] impressive
[ ] genius