This is my first post of the new direction of my blog. So for those who don't know, I'm changing the direction of my blog to review movies I've recently seen. They may not all be new movies, just ones I have an opinion about and have recently watched. I figured Jessie has our life pretty much blogged out, so I can do my own thing. So on to the review. "Super 8" was in my opinion a great movie. J.J. Abrams did not disappoint with this one. From the first preview that debut at the beginning of "Iron Man 2" (I think) you knew it had to be something good if Speilberg was willing to stamp his name on it. As more previews were posted about it I lost interest. It seemed like something I wouldn't really care too much about. However when opening weekend came and it still managed to get excellent reviews I decided it would be worth a watch, and boy was I right. "Super 8" had something unique that movies have failed to produce lately. That is, regrettably, a good original story! Don't get me wrong, I love comic books, and classic literature, but an adaption of your favorite childhood comic, book, or a new creative vision of an already classic film does not demonstrate to me enough creative thinking (sorry Cohen brothers, I loved "True Grit" but it wasn't original). "Super 8" on the other hand was so genius! Abrams not only told an original story, but he did it how it used to be done...that is he told it well. As of late films have lost their integrity to technology and her cruel mistress, special effects. These effects exist to enhance the moving going experience not replace it all together. However every now and then a film will come along that dares to challenge this insufferable social norm (yes, we are looking at you "Black Swan", and "Kings Speech") where the visual effects do nothing more but enhance the movie, not take it's dignity and leave it lying in the gutter (yes, we are looking at you "Thor", and "Pirates", and "I am Number Four"). And as could have guess, "Super 8" is one of those. Sure there were special effects. They needed to crash a trail, and create a monster, and it's spaceship. But those were all small minor details, nothing that distracted from the main point of the story (which get's me wondering, when directors decided to throw mountain loads of special effects into an already struggling movie does the thought ever cross there mind of, "Hey, maybe this might distract from the story and look really fake?"). Which bring me to the point of Abrams story. "Super 8" is surprisingly not about a monster (thanks goodness we didn't have a "Cloverfield" repeat) but it is about the human relationships between a group of tween friends, and them and their parents, and their parents with each other. Abrams finds a way to drag all these plots lines together in a very simple way that remind us of the old classics like "The Goonies." It seems that he's take Michael Scott's KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) to heart. The plot is not complex. Everything is explained well and clear so that your head is not spinning the whole time and instead your heart begins to twirl to a top. But isn't that why we go to the movies? Don't we love to go so that we can become attached to these fictional characters and rejoice in there success, and mourn with them in their pain?
And was it enough for Abram just to master that concept? No it wasn't. Abrams not only had to show us that he knows best how to write a story, he had to weave into the plot and instructional on how to make a good story. As young film maker Charles (Riley Griffiths) sets out to make his master film 'The Case' he is constantly 'plagued' by having to explain to his friends why he is doing certain things in the movie. With the movie being set in the 1960's, its like we see a young Abrams in action. The story is so well done that I would dare say that next time Michael Bay is thinking of making a film I would instruct him to first watch "Super 8."
As for any film is concerned, the movie is only as good as the music and in this aspect Abrams does not disappoint. Some directors find a composer they like and stick with them, which is fine as long as that composer is not Danny Elfman (yes, we are looking at you Tim Burton). Lucky for us Abrams has teamed up with Michael Giacchino (Star Trek, Up, The Incredibles, Mission Impossible III) and what a match! Giacchino, who is arguably the John Williams of our time, does a magical job of capturing both the suspense and the drama of Abrams story. His tracks are well composed in both score and title (anyone who has listened to one of his scores knows he is quite the sarcastic comedian).
Overall "Super 8" was "super gr8!" as Jessie would say. I give it an 8 out of 10 rating and would recommend it to any of my friends.
