J.J. Abrams (the writer) – like Gene Roddenberry and Stanley Kubrick – uses the science fiction genre as a medium to showcase how humans can better understand each other and their emotions. The trailer for Super 8 features a spectacular train wreck and although that scene is the most violent of the entire film, it is more harmless and generic than it is spectacular. The extra-terrestrial on the loose in the small Ohio town is a textbook example of a MacGuffin and although its true nature is slowly revealed throughout the film, it still receives far too much camera time.
Like Lost, Super 8 looks cool and feels mysterious. The ending is out of the box compared to recent nihilistic blockbusters which hang their hat on the number of popular landmarks which are destroyed rather than the quality of the story and how it is told. However, the ending is not surprising if the early works of executive producer Steven Spielberg are taken into account. Only so many science fiction storylines exist so this fact is not a case of plagiarism but rather a choice that the director is allowed to make.
J.J. Abrams (the director) prove how he is a much better writer than he is a director. He writes about a group of teenagers who are filming a short film for an upcoming summer festival. While they are filming “on location” at an abandoned train station, they witness a horrendous train wreck, caused by their middle school science teacher. After the crash, the military invades the town and nothing is what it used to be. Like an episode of South Park, the adults go crazy and it is up to the kids to piece together what is happening. The 1970s setting also provides moments of humour.
The short film offers a chance to bring down the fourth wall and employ self-referential commentary about how films are produced these days. Unfortunately, Super 8 rarely takes advantage of this opportunity. In fact, the amateur film concept is dropped midway through the film; granted, it’s difficult to record footage when running for your life but the climax of the film should have at least occurred by the town’s movie theatre.
The most irksome element of the film is the number of loose ends. Conflicts arise, naturally, yet by the closing scene everything’s wrapped up in a neat little package. Is a massive conspiracy such a bonding experience that it magically smoothes over any hurt feelings which previously existed?
Kudos to the unknown cast for creating interesting characters who stand out from the typical summer movie archetypes. Wanting to find out what happens to these individuals drives the interest of the audience rather than finding out exactly what has been terrorizing the town. Science fiction films which are based on characters (Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars) always have a longer shelf life than those which rely merely on special effects. Steven Spielberg has long understood this and hopefully J.J. Abrams will do a better job of bringing his script and ideas to life in the future. **½