So, I have a question for you: did you enjoy "Goonies"? Yes? Good. Brilliant. You'll love "Super 8." "Super 8" is essentially J.J. Abrams's homage to all things good about Spielberg. It's "Goonies," "Jaws," "Close Encounters," and "E.T." in one very fun, touching package.
Let's really try and dissect this though.
As per the usual Abrams film, it is technically quite good. I thought so anyway. (I am, however, a huge fan of Abrams.) Out of the box, the camera work if good. He draws your attention to what needs being drawn to while still have a lot of flair and style. It's not overly complicated, not overly artistic, but just comfortable. It's not spectacular, Oscar winning cinematography, but it is cleaner and overall, much better than "Star Trek."
Speaking of "Star Trek," let's talk lighting. Confession time: I like the lighting flairs in "Star Trek." I also think they were overused, but I liked the idea. That being said, they are still in "Super 8," but not to the ridiculous degree that they were in "Star Trek." The lighting most of the rest of the time is very natural and well done.
Continuing onward, let's talk effects. Mint. It was SO mint. The train crash was mint, Sebulba--I mean, the alien (heh) was mint, the little cubes were mint--SO MUCH MINT. (Also, I love that word and I shall endeavor to use it.) Are they flawless? Meh, I didn't notice anything really off, but that could be due to the fact that within 5 minutes of the movie, I was happily remembering my childhood watching "Goonies." I liked them. Will they win an Oscar for it? Well, it's hard to say. Nominated? Maybe? I mean, it was a story heavy film, not a special effects heavy film.
Let's see, what else. Let's talk about the train crash, if for no other reason that it was a major part of the film, and is an excellent way to discuss the film from basically all points (except the over arching story). First off, it starts off in the middle of the kids movie ("Production value!"), which was a wonderful subplot of the movie and a lot of fun. That bit shows off everyone's acting skills. Even the crash and how the kids dealt with it afterwards showed that Abrams and his casting director did good choosing these kids. They're believable (even for most regular actors and not just for child actors), endearing, charming, and wonderfully cute when needed. The pyro--oh, he was too cute, reacting to the explosion not in horror, but in awe of how it happened. That leads me to writing. The dialogue was great. It had a bunch of language, but for me, while annoying, reminded me of "Goonies." It worked well for each character as well for each scene, never feeling too forced or too odd (well, unless it was meant to--this movie does have that awkward pre-teen crush subplot). It wasn't perfect, but it was good. It was, dare I say, mint. In the train crash all the dialogue brought out the characters that much more. The pyro freaking out about how cool the explosion was, the director worrying about his camera, the girl worrying about the blood, and our main character trying to reassure her, explaining that it's not blood, but his stage make-up. Very good. The special effects in the train crash were---over the top and unrealistic. Not the point at all. (Okay, okay, yes, it's a point, but I liked it, I guess.) The scene after the train finishing crashing, the one with the fire and all that, was, okay, not perfect. The lighting felt a bit forced at times, but it was still not bad. The way it was shot too was, well, it didn't feel realistic. I kept thinking that they were on a sound stage somewhere, how it was done. So, it wasn't perfect, but it wasn't bad. Let's see what else about that scene. Oh. The old black guy in the truck. I jumped when he moved. I'll admit that I jumped a few times in the movie, if for no other reason that I was waiting for it. That's all I can think of in that scene to talk about to be honest. I mean, it's been a few days since I saw the movie, so cut me some slack. Heh.
Okay, let's talk story. J.J. Abrams, who also wrote the film, did a good job keeping you in the dark about the kid's mom and what happened with her. He let the mystery of the unfold naturally. That being said, the jerk dad who is sort of responsible was...lame and not good enough. Also, the main kid's dad was too easily convinced to forgive him. Granted, this isn't some grand narrative that is character driven, meant to tell a story of love and redemption, so I can't really complain. The zombie film subplot was also well done, driving some of the kids relationships as well as creating conflict for them that needed to be and was resolved. The romantic subplot was cute and had a seriously, awkwardly "Goonie" vibe, but in a great way. It was cute. I loved it. Now, the overarching alien plot was good. I mean, I know that for me, "Indy 4" murdered government-cover-up-of-aliens plots for me, and I am exceedingly pleased that Area 51 was not mentioned. Even so, something didn't sit well with me about the alien thing. I still liked it though. It still unfolded well. Abrams still got to talk love and forgiveness, which I love. Granted, the scene with the kid and the alien in the tunnel where he tell him that bad stuff still happens, but they we can still love was...a bit cheesy. I still liked it. (Mind, I was sitting there watching the movie feeling like a little kid again, so my opinion is a bit skewed.) Overall, I love the story. It flows well, it's touching, sweet, and easy to follow. No bizarre time-traveling issues, no Area 51, just a story about some kids, trying to make a movie while dealing with some seriously creepy issues in their small town.I loved it.
There was something else I wanted to mention. Oh. Right. Production value. I mean this two fold: 1. I LOVED the director kid. "Mint!" "Production Value!" He arced from the over-powering sort of controlling jerk into someone who cares and takes direction well. (Oh, also, I LOVED how he was about actors. If you've ever made a short film, or even a real one, you understand him.) 2. I don't know how J.J. Abrams did it, but somehow he managed to get all the best views of the sky in West Virginia. It was beautiful. Production value!
Now we come to the music. I knew it was Giacchino because I knew it was Abrams (I'm getting a sort of Spielberg-Williams vibe with them; that being said, Giacchino has a VERY long way to go before he gets that good), but even if I hadn't--10 seconds in, I kid you not, you knew who was composing. He did a good job. I mean, I didn't walk out humming the theme, but I didn't notice it in the film, which, in film, is usually a good thing. If you notice something in a film, if something stands out to you in a film, good of bad, and if you are NOT looking for it, nor have you been trained to look for it, then something is wrong.Generally speaking. (Exceptions being things like 90% of the shots in "Lord of the Rings.") I liked the score. It was a bit...well, perhaps out of place at the very end, but I liked it.
So, over all, it was wonderful. I say again, if you liked "Goonies," you will love this film.
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