Super 8, written and directed by J.J. Abrams

J.J. Abrams is a geek. A film geek, especially. Hasn't it always been obvious? You could see it in the very theatrical presentation of his TV series' like Alias and Fringe. You can sense it in the pop culture quirkiness of Lost, the dramatic flourishes he brought to Mission Impossible III. And Star Trek? He might as well have written himself a role as a redshirt. You can even see it in the way he taunts and tempts his fans with viral ads, designed to whet appetites and pique interests. Abrams loves movies. He loves making movies. It's a love that must've sprouted as child, nurtured and grown until it could be fully expressed with the sheer perfection that is Super 8.

What Super 8 provides us is a welcome break from the costumed superheroes, umpteenth sequels, and tired old adaptions of teen romance novels. An original film that springs forth from the mind of Abrams, Super 8 will transport you back to the movies of your youth. The movies that inspired you to build tree houses and forts, and run off on "wild" adventures just a few blocks away from home. I could see Super 8 sitting on a store shelf next to copies of E.T., Flight of the Navigator, and *Batteries Not Included and never bat an eye. 

The familiar Amblin Entertainment logo greets you warmly, a welcome reminder of their great movies of the past. It also serves as a promise that what you're about to see is worth being mentioned in the same breath as The Goonies and Gremlins. The story, which Abrams and his inspirational leader Steven Spielberg have kept mostly secret, takes place in 1979 in a small, fictional town in Ohio. Joe Lamb(Joel Courtney) is a kid who's mother was the first workplace death in the history of the town's steel mill. Left alone with his tough, grieving father(Kyle Chandler), Joe finds an escape building model trains and helping his best friend Charles(Riley Griffiths) complete his zombie movie. They and their group of friends shoot using an old Super 8 camera, cherishing every reel of film like a rare treasure. Joe's life gets a bit complicated with the arrival of Alice Dainard(Elle Fanning) to the cast of their little home made horror, and he's quickly smitten. But there's some sort of feud going on between their two fathers that throws any hopes of being friends into jeopardy.

While shooting late one night, the gang is witness to a cataclysmic train derailing that nearly kills them all. From out of the wreckage, something terrible emerges. But along with it, come a lot of questions. Questions that the military doesn't want answered, and anyone who gets in their way is in danger.

Super 8 isn't just a great film, it's an exceptional one. It's easy to say that Abrams is replicating the work of Spielberg, aping his style.  Nothing could be further from the truth. He gets the feel and the wholesome tone perfectly right, and yes there's that mix of heart, morality, and action that Spielberg was so good at capturing. But this is in no way a copy of anything Spielberg did. It's a wholly unique story, and Abrams adds enough of his own touches that it feels totally fresh. His script is a perfect blend of humor and often intense emotional moments. And did I mention this movie is kinda scary? Don't be surprised to jump out of your seat once or twice.

The cast is superb, with authenticity oozing out of every scene. Joel Courtney is perfect as Joe, and reminded me a lot of Sean Astin in The Goonies. He's the same sort of hero, nervous, shy, but brave when called upon to help others. It's amazing how complete of an actress Elle Fanning has become at such a young age. These kids talk like real kids do. They joke with eachother, rag on eachother, and they cuss like sailors...when the parents aren't around.

But isn't that one of the best things about those movies we used to love? They were always about the kids, not the parents. The adults were usually written into the background only to show up at the end, worried but relieved. It was always up to the youngsters to use their own ingenuity, to figure out what they do best, to save the day. Those films were about discovery, camaraderie, and sharing a timeless adventure with your friends. Abrams gets it better than anybody has in years.

Trav's Tip: Amblin Entertainment was named after Steven Spielberg's first film, a short he did in 1968 about a man who meets a hippie woman while hiking across a desert. Amblin was so well received that it earned him a seven year contract with Universal.