“Super 8,” tells the story of six friends who witness a train wreck while making a Super 8 movie, only to discover that something unimaginable escaped during the crash. They soon discover that the only thing more mysterious than what it is, is what it wants.
Ten years ago, “Super 8” was launched into theaters with much fanfare, written and directed as it was by J.J. Abrams, with Steven Spielberg on board as one of the producers. Set in 1979, the period piece still holds up well a decade later. The story has all the key elements of a Spielberg production including ’70s music, a look at amateur filmmaking, and a coming-of-age theme.
Joel Courtney stars as Joe Lamb, a shy high school student helping Charles (Riley Griffiths) with a project about zombies running wild for a film contest. Charles constantly seeks to infuse robust production values in an attempt to give his work an edge over older competitors.
Elle Fanning plays Alice Dainard, the object of Joe’s and Charles’ affections, who drives the crew to the shooting location – an old train station. She agrees to take on a starring role and turns out to be quite the hidden talent as an actress.
As Joe applies makeup to Alice, the two begin to develop a mutual affection, much to the dismay of overbearing director Charles. Things proceed somewhat slowly at first as the characters are fleshed out, but once the ill-fated train appears, the action picks up smartly. A derailment under mysterious circumstances, dogs inexplicably running away en masse, an oppressive government cover-up, and hints at extraterrestrial mischief all make for an engaging narrative.
Superb casting includes Kyle Chandler as Deputy Jackson Lamb, whose wife recently died in a steel mill accident and now must cope with how to raise a son he hardly knows. Ron Eldard plays Louis Dainard, the irresponsible father of Alice who missed his shift at the mill – which Deputy Lamb’s wife ended up working instead – with tragic consequences. Glynn Turman as Dr. Woodward knows some unsettling secrets from his time in a military lab before becoming the high school biology teacher. Noel Emmerich as Colonel Nelec commands the air force presence in the area trying to keep a lid on the matter, and the townspeople in the dark.
Though the screenplay follows a fairly standard formula, its strength lies in sure-footed execution and the strong empathy evoked from fine performances across the board by an array of compelling actors. This re-release of “Super 8,” replete with special features and deleted scenes, will make for engaging viewing sure to please summer audiences of all ages.
Now available for the first time ever on 4K Ultra HD
