Ah, looks like the summer of nostalgia. That would certainly explain the number of sequels slated for the season. There’s even a few remakes due soon. But nostalgia doesn’t necessarily mean a screenwriter has to retype his or her name over previous characters. “Super 8,” just released, proves that you can keep your feelings for the oldies in your work even if you’re starting a story from scratch.
This is an example of a highly imaginative move that, frankly, doesn’t have a lot of original elements. Let’s face it, a monster on the loose is hardly something new, neither is a group of kids trying to figure it out in the midst of adults who aren’t seeing it on their level.
In “Super 8,” a group of small-town youngsters are making their own monster movie when they witness a train wreck, and it’s soon apparent that there’s more to this incident than it seems. The car on the tracks may not have been an accident. The train was carrying some rather peculiar cargo ... that’s now on the loose.
Now we get two points of view, the main one being from the kids themselves who are personally affected by the mystery and have to find out more. Meanwhile there’s their parents, one of whom happens to be the sheriff, who’s trying to communicate with the military and find out what’s happened and keep the town safe. Of course, they don’t explain, and as havoc starts to mount around town, the adults and kids both know something in that train is responsible — but what are the odds they’ll see it on a common level.
Now if this story seems kind of hokey, like you’ve seen it before, well that’s because you have. But this is still imaginative work and well played out. Most of all, I like how a lot of this is seen from the kids’ point of view. Almost every parental figure isn’t really around so the kids have to stick together through this. I especially like the lead and his dad who show a great display of a parent and child who want to communicate but can’t quite get there. Nothing like a giant monster roaming around to make them get it right.
“Super 8” is a collaborative effort from writer/director J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg, who co-produced. Spielberg’s name certainly belongs somewhere in the credits because a lot of this film is like a love letter to his vintage work. From the “something’s out there” mixed with strained family themes to the low cameras to the lighting schemes, Abrams obviously drew inspiration from the likes of “Jaws,” “Close Encounters,” “E.T.,” “The Goonies” and others. Especially since it’s a group of kids that are leading the charge on this one.
The movie sometimes seems like it’s trying to build up the same feelings that these classics did, but that isn’t the case. As much as the filmmakers and the audience love those, this is a new movie in a new generation and duplication of sentiments just aren’t going to happen.
This is a good thing, as it goes with the idea that this movie is still its own creation. And there’s no doubt that teens and adults will still enjoy it on its own level. Of course, it looks much slicker and the effects are top-notch. This really enhances a story that’s familiar but still its own and telling itself in the freshest way it knows how.
That reminds me: kids should especially see this movie. The whole reason is that, between the main plot and the friends making their own movie within a movie, it really inspires the feeling to want to pick up a camera and get creative in your own way. That’s one of the best results a movie can have.
