Super 8

Super 8's marketing campaign is purposefully vague. The ads showed various things flying through the air, cars missing engines, dogs disappearing and one of the craziest train wrecks ever filmed, but they never give an actual 'hint' as to what the story may be about. Whether this ends up hurting or harming one of the best films of the year in the long term remains to be seen, but this film deserves to be viewed by as many people as possible. It's a throwback adventure film in the vein of '80s stalwarts such as Goonies or ET that manages to tap nostalgia, yet still keeping itself very grounded - essentially, it's a Spielberg film that isn't directed by Spielberg (though he did produce it).

Set in the '80s (imagine that) in small-town USA, the film focuses on a group of friends who are trying to shoot a low-budget zombie movie on cheap, super-8 film-stock (hence the title). While on-location for a scene, they witness a spectacular accident when a military train derails. Soon after, it becomes apparent that 'something' was on that train and it has since escaped. Things (and people) start disappearing. Weird electrical brown-outs start occurring. And, of course, the sour-faced military roll into town and start pushing the locals around (including the irrepressible Kyle Chandler as the widower-father of the main character - and a deputy for the town's police force).

The young group of friends who serve as the main characters of the film (despite the fact that Kyle Chandler gets top billing in the credits) have a real camaraderie that shines through and helps us root for them. They bicker and banter, they swear at each other and they really do a great job of creating a solid, emotional connection with the audience. Watching them sit around a booth in a local diner talking about their plans for their movie, you really get the sense that you 'know' these characters. This shouldn't be a surprise, since director JJ Abrams is a well-known proponent of strong character development. In particular, young Joel Courtney, who plays Joe Lamb (the de-facto 'hero' of the film) immediately invites immediate comparison to a wide-eyed Henry Thomas (as Elliott from ET).

The story has just enough twists and turns to prevent it from being completely predictable, but given that it's an adventure film at its heart - not the mystery film that the ad campaign would have you believe - the film can be forgiven for taking you by the hand a little bit. Ultimately, while it may seem strange to call a monster movie a 'character-driven' film, Super 8 succeeds largely because of its characters, rather than in spite of them. Sure, the special effects are pretty and there are some nice explosions (I watched it in an UltraAVX theatre and was blown away - literally - by some scenes) but by investing in these characters, you appreciate them more and it makes the (slightly-saccharine, admittedly) ending that much more palatable.

Super 8 is mint and reminds us why we love summer movies. It's a fun adventure film with heart to spare, a solid stable of characters and some great special effects that belie its relatively small budget. It also may be the best film you see this summer. I recommend it wholeheartedly and without prejudice.

Geek Score: 9 out of 10 bacon strips.

PS: Don't leave as soon as the credits start rolling. Have a little patience. You won't be disappointed.

What I'm Playing: Infamous for PS3

What I'm Reading: Marvel Zombies vol. 2