J.J. Abrams' Super 8 - Part 2

[WarBlade]

Spoiler

Does the movie say if it's an alien or just some kind of monster?

Spoiler

It's an extraterrestrial alien.

 

[bullets]

That new trailer is great.

 

[Solidus]

Most of the critics really seem to like it. I wonder if the ones that (either through the marketing or what they heard) ran with the "trying to be like Old Spielberg films". Some seem to bash it for doing that, and I think its almost because the marketing pushed that side of it too much instead of let it stand on its own.

But Ebert liked it, he gave it 3.5/4 (since he only does 4 stars)

I liked this line about it he had to say:


All the same, "Super 8" is a wonderful film, nostalgia not for a time but for a style of filmmaking, when shell-shocked young audiences were told a story and not pounded over the head with aggressive action.

 

[Evil Twin]

I'm looking forward to the movie but I agree with this, it has been sold on being a throwback to the Amblin era Spielberg, as opposed to what it brings itself.

I'm looking forward to the movie itself, despite what I think is a misguided marketing campaign.

I do kind of think that Abrams hasn't really defined himself as a filmmaker enough to attempt this much of an homage. There are lots of directors, good and bad, that have an established style and themes where it's easy to see what they bring to the table. Michael Bay, as shallow as he is, has a style and seems to buy in to the beer drinking, muscle car driving, flag waving, teenage boy p.o.v. What are Abrams' defining characteristics as a filmmaker? Ensembles? Lens flares? Giant monsters? Sci-fi hooks? Anything deeper?

Abrams is clearly a talented director, but between Mission Impossible and Star Trek he really hasn't defined his own original vision yet on film. Spielberg's influence on Super 8 also looks apparent. Next time Abrams does an original project, I hope he drops the homage angle and delivers a pure Abrams movie.

 

[Marvin]

Most of the critics really seem to like it. I wonder if the ones that (either through the marketing or what they heard) ran with the "trying to be like Old Spielberg films". Some seem to bash it for doing that, and I think its almost because the marketing pushed that side of it too much instead of let it stand on its own.

But Ebert liked it, he gave it 3.5/4 (since he only does 4 stars)

I liked this line about it he had to say:


All the same, "Super 8" is a wonderful film, nostalgia not for a time but for a style of filmmaking, when shell-shocked young audiences were told a story and not pounded over the head with aggressive action.

gone are the days when critics weren't full of agenda, but simply honest.

 

[Kane52630]

Right now they are holding special screenings for Super 8

http://www.facebook.com/Super8Movie?sk=photos

 

[WarBlade]

That picture would only be complete if the girl in the middle was wearing a pair of glasses.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

Lucky people, lol.

 

[redhawk23]

^I actually had some tickets but discovered I couldnt go, so released them back. Oh well its only a few days early.

Also that Struzanish poster turned out to be fanmade!

 

[jmc]

So I just got back from watching Super 8, review as follows.

For those of us who grew up watching those great 80's flicks this is an absolute delight to watch. It may be a homage of sorts but it also works in it's own right as a piece of great cinema. It's thrilling, emotional, beautifully shot, and wonderfully acted.

Impressive is the young cast, this bunch of kids does a tremendous job of carrying the weigh of the film, there's great chemistry between them all and none of them put a foot out of place.

There's real tension throughout the film waiting for the big reveal of what this mystery creature is, there's genuine moments that will make you jump in your seat and make you clench your fists. Abrams has gone for a less is more approach, although the payoff for the monster really doesn't hit it's mark.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining film that will appeal to persons over the age of 25, I'm not quite sure what the current generation of kids will make of it, it's not big on effects and the action sequences are limited, but for those of us who were kids of the 80's and early 90's this should appeal greatly.

8/10

 

[redhawk23]

thanks for the review (and a completely unspoilerish one at that!). sounds good.

 

[Crockett]

I'll try to keep this short.

With Super 8 being Abrams' third movie he have crafted an incredible one. There's parts where it's exhilarating but also, more importantly, because it has heart, it's tender and moving. It's a nostalgic reminder of the times of Spielberg's early movies but it's also enjoyable as it's own.

The kids are the stars of the show and it resonates well between them with a natural and wonderful chemistry they had. Courtney is good but Fanning is the stand-out, she has a commanding presence to her. An outstanding job with the score, Giacchino, loved it. I had a terrific experience and when it ends I hope it leaves you with a smile on your face as it did with me.

P.S. And do stay when the credits are rolling, you're in for a treat.

4/5

 

[Steyin]

I had a pass for the NYC early screening last night but I decided not to go, I just wasn't interested enough to wait around 3 hours for this. The throw back to E.T. and earlier films has just turned me off to this film. I think this is most likely going to be a DVD/download watch for me.

 

[redhawk23]

I think its somewhat strange how much criticism Abrahms has got for his "homage" from people who havent actually even seen the movie yet. Meanwhile most people who have seen the movie have nothing bad to say about it on that front.

I mean its not the first time a director has made a movie in the vein of the films he liked growing up.

In Super 8's case, I cant speak for the execution of the throwback, but I see very little difference in intent.

 

[chaseter]

So is the movie more atmosphere/tension than action/monster? Is it more ET than say Cloverfield? The trailer makes it seem like it's an actionfest.

 

[The Chris]

I think one newspaper said it best when they said it's kind of E.T meets The Goonies meets Cloverfield. It's got heart and humor like those first two but the scenes with the alien were much more intense than I was expecting. I think it evened out those aspects. I really loved it.

 

[Kane52630]

Thanks for your reviews guys

Super 8 Featurette
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/super8/

 

[Carnotaur3]

Why anyone would criticize a movie for implementing an old school way of filmmaking. People are loving Super 8 because we need the old school filmmaking back into the mainstream. We miss the hell out of it. It worked then. Still works now.

 

[Punisher Rising]

Planning to go see this tomorrow, can't wait.

 

[Evil Twin]

I think its somewhat strange how much criticism Abrahms has got for his "homage" from people who havent actually even seen the movie yet. Meanwhile most people who have seen the movie have nothing bad to say about it on that front.

I mean its not the first time a director has made a movie in the vein of the films he liked growing up.

In Super 8's case, I cant speak for the execution of the throwback, but I see very little difference in intent.

While Raiders owes a lot to the spirit of the serials, and general breakneck plotting, the style of Raiders is 100% contemporary Spielberg. Spielberg didn't shoot it in black and white with a B-movie cast, low production values, etc. There's no mistaking Raiders for an actual serial. The serials are an influence, but Spielberg's style dominates.

Now, I don't want to judge the actual film of Super 8, but to me the marketing hasn't made Super 8 distinct from the films that influenced it. Frankly, it's likely to be worse than E.T. and Close Encounters, which isn't saying anything against the intrinsic quality of the film itself as that's a very high bar. But, "like E.T. but not as good" is a double edged sword as a selling point.

There's nothing wrong with doing an homage. Sleepy Hollow is an homage to Hammer Films to cite another example. Tarantino homages all the time. But, the trick is to make it distinctly the director's film at the same time. To me, the marketing hasn't done the job in that regard.

Hopefully, when I see the film, I see a J. J. Abrams film first and a Spielberg homage second.

 

[Nirvana]

Pretty good flick.

 

[The Shape]

Spoiler

is the monster malevolent or benevolent, and does this take place in the same universe as Cloverfield? I heard there was a Slusho logo/product included.

I think this is a valid, non-spoilery question that someone should answer.

 

[Kane52630]

New Super 8 Video Teases Creature

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=78523

With just a matter of hours to go before Super 8 hits theaters everywhere, Paramount Pictures has debuted, through Yahoo! Movies a viral clip that offers the first glimpse at the film's mysterious alien creature. Check it out in the player below!

Starring Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, Gabriel Basso, Noah Emmerich, Ron Eldard, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee and Zach Mills, Super 8 takes place in the summer of 1979 where a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie. Soon they suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth – something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

VIDEO: http://blog.movies.yahoo.com/blog/1525-j-j-abrams-reveals-the-uncut-viral-video-from-super-8

 

[Doctor Jones]

Not gonna watch that. I can't wait for this tomorrow.

 

[The Shape]

It's a creative black and white vid from the "60s" that spoils nothing about the film.