Super Familiar
I’ve had a chance to read some of the other write-ups on Super 8 before writing this, and they all will tell you that it is a movie that will remind you of the way people used to make movies. It will be pointed out that these are the kinds of movies that Spielberg used to make, and that he and director J.J. Abrams are giving us a biographical story, of geeky filmmakers in the seventies. And it’s true; Super 8 does invoke feelings of nostalgia, that anyone can probably relate to their own childhood, but I’m not sure whether this makes it better as a movie. The reason I was initially excited for Super 8 is because it looked like an edgy film in the vein of Cloverfield, an Abrams production. What the movie ended up being was more E.T. than anything else. This may have been my problem, for thinking that this would be an edgy, sci-fi movie, but the first trailer genuinely looked a little dark compared to the final product. Essentially, I do not think a movie can get by on nostalgia alone. For me there needs to be a deeper meaning to it all, and I’m not quite sure if Super 8 delivers.
Super 8 tells the story of a group of five kids who get together to make a monster movie, actually a zombie movie to be exact. One night while filming, they witness a horrific train accident occur in the background. Shortly after the accident the military shows up, and begins assuming control of the town. Strange events then begin happening in town, as some sort of monster begins to run rampant. The monster destroys a whole bunch of stuff, and drives the kids to find out what’s going on. On an interesting side-note the movie reminds of Stephen King’s story IT, which also deals with kids teaming up to combat a horrific monster. The only difference being in that story the evil was a little more universal. In a weird way watching Super 8 reminded me of reading IT when I was in middle school. That summer I tore through that book while going through a Bruce Springsteen phase, not that I’ve at all renounced The Boss, he’s just not as definitive to me as he used to be; anyways that’s my nostalgic moment, on with the review.
The actor who really manages to hold the story together is Kyle Chandler of Friday Night Lights fame. Chandler plays the protagonists’ father, and is also the deputy of the town. I believe Chandler is one of the masters at delivering intense dialogue, and really holds any scene he’s in extremely well. Chandler also manages to toe the line between being intense, and delivering every word as a universal truth, something that also adds to his credit as an actor. Other than Chandler there are few other actors in the film worth noting. Considering that almost all of the other major actors are kids, this may not be the worst thing in the world. Joel Courtney holds well as the main kid, showing some ability to hold scenes well together. The other kids mainly just function as pieces to define our main character, they all help define the innocence of the time well, but they don’t provide tremendously stirring performances. The only exception to this is Riley Griffiths, who gives the film a little bit o soul as the main character’s best friend. Griffith‘s character actually shows some conflict and depth, and creates tension between some of the main characters. If I had to say one of these kids would have a solid future in pictures, it’s probably him.
I find it ironic that in an interview in the most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly Steven Spielberg said that he hates the term “Spielbergian.” Spielberg denounces this term because that he believes this movie is J.J. Abrams own, and might even be considered his first “real” movie. Spielberg seems to believe that this project is Abrams’ most true and personal piece of work he has produced. While I don’t doubt that this story is very personal to Abrams, I also think that Spielberg’s influence is undeniable on the story. The best example of “Spielbergian” film style in Super 8 is the narrative itself. The story is built around the audience having the morals of the story drummed into them so much; it’s a wonder audience members aren’t dying of exhaustion by the end. We are constantly given reason why the military is evil (see paragraph below), why the kids are innocent and misunderstood, why the kid’s parents should just get along and let their kids be friends, it builds to a point where there is very little room for actual interesting characters. Spielberg’s filmography is littered with movies where we aren’t able to pass judgment on the characters, as it’s already made for us. Examples of this are easily found in Schiendler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, and even E.T. The other trademark problem of Spielberg in the movie is the monster itself. Ever since Jaws Spielberg has struggled to make a threatening creature, if not by nature then by appearance (see War of the Worlds). The other Spielberg trait Super 8 displays is the fact it’s ending sucks, not quite War of the Worlds-level suck, but it’s not too far off. The main problem I have with the ending is that it makes one of my least favorite choices with an inevitable trip to the monster’s lair. Our hero goes down to (Spoiler Alert!) try and save his love from being eaten by the monster that we are shown eats flesh. As our hero makes it down to the lair several people have been eaten, and we see one being eaten onscreen, but the hero’s love and any other important characters remain unbitten. This all in spite of the fact one, the sheriff, was one of the first townsfolk captured. Narrative choices like this hold the story back, instead of allowing the story to go through an interesting evolution, it regresses through recycled material.
The monster, as is normally the case in movies, looks a lot better in glimpses and snippets. The brief glimpses we see remind us of the Cloverfield creature, and it appears pretty sinister and scary. When we finally do see it, though, it’s pretty disappointing. Essentially, again, it suffers from the same traits that all Spielberg monsters inevitably do; it has to have redeeming value and be, essentially, good. I understand the need for complexity, but the creature’s back-story makes the story extraordinarily broad-stroked. The creature is explained as a misunderstood alien who’s been mistreated, and the military are the evil bastards torturing him for information on his home planet. In general characters are placed into rigid boxes that allow them only to behave so the audience can tell exactly who the villains are; going back to my earlier point, I believe this is Spielberg’s influence on the story.
Overall I think Super 8 is a great idea that doesn’t quite deliver. The nostalgic aspects of the story make it instantly relate-able, but it feels almost like story about some kids making a movie collided head on with a monster movie, and the resulting crash wasn’t quite as spectacular as the one we see in the film. I think, however, Abrams will have plenty in store for us in the future. So there is reason to be optimistic for his future in film.
Super 8 receives a 6.5/10. The extra half, maybe more, is because Kyle Chandler is in it, and he rules.
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