Super 8

            So how do you write a review about a movie that has been so shrouded in mystery since its title was mentioned for the very first time?  Well, I'm going to choose to do it by doing the same thing the ad men at Paramount have tried to do; and that is keep almost everything a mystery. Regardless if you like this ad tactic or not you should respect it. Is it kind of frustrating to go pay for a movie you seem to know nothing about? Of course it is. But this is something movies don't do anymore, and far to many times than not now a days do movies give too much information or jokes away in their trailers. Trust me, the mystery of not knowing practically anything just makes this movie better.
            So in case you haven't seen one of the trailers here is what information you'd be able to gather from it. Super 8 is about 6 kids in 1979 who are shooting a homemade zombie movie they witness a horrific train crash. From that crash something big and dangerous escapes and weird things begin to happen in their small Ohio town. The kids set out to try and discover what is happening in their town and why, all while trying to continue to shoot their movie and avoid the military, who has gotten involved. There's your basic outline with minimal detail.
            Now some of you may go and see this and think that its not much of a new idea. Group of kids get into something unexpected, find trouble, and so on. Sounds similar to "The Goonies" and other movies. But then again, how many truly original ideas are really coming out of Hollywood anymore? Many movies follow similar story outlines, but it's how complex each individual story is and how it's told that makes it a great movie or not; and Super 8 is well done in both regards. With director J.J. Abrams (Lost, Star Trek) and executive producer Steven Spielberg as the two big brains behind this they help create something much more in depth than what you may have come to expect from a film of this type.
            First off, the cast of six kids did a fantastic job, especially considering that they're all pretty much unknown and fairly new to the business. Joel Courtney (Joe) and Riley Griffiths (Charles), the two with the biggest workloads, are in their acting debuts, but you'd never know it from the way they interact and work with each other on screen. Elle Fanning (Alice) is probably the most experienced of the bunch, yet you never get any disparity that anyone in the group hasn't been doing this for awhile. The dialogue between the kids is what really seals the deal as it feels real. They talk to each other exactly how you expect close friends to talk to one another, with swearing and trash talk, all of the way to a complete 180 degree difference when around adults. It really helps the audience connect.
            Super 8 I thought was a great film. It was highly entertaining, with plenty of great action, and keeps you in a constant state of mystery, which will keep you intrigued throughout the entire movie as you want to know the answer to every single question. The depth and stories of the characters allow the audience to get an emotional connection with them as well. Where I think the movie faltered was at the end as I believe it didn't end as strongly as I was expecting. Now the ending was not bad, it just wasn't as climactic as perhaps I thought it would be.
            Overall, I give Super 8 a thumbs up and a solid 3 out of 4 stars. It wasn't blow you away fantastic, but it's a very fun and exciting movie that allows every audience member to feel like a kid again and go on their own crazy adventure. I recommend seeing it in theaters due to the action and if you do stick around as the credits role as there's more to see! Enjoy!

Editor's Note: My next review will be on the comedy Just Go With It starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, and Brooklyn Decker