Super 8

[Deleted]

And Word to whoever said the person who hasn't seen Goonies is from outer space.

I always knew I was an alien! Ha! (yeah, I've never seen The Goonies and I don't intend to)

I'm so looking forward to seeing this. I've had a soft spot for Kyle Chandler ever since Early Edition, and it seems like a an old-school sci-fi blockbuster. I hope it does well.

[huntergrayson]

This lead Vulture to do a spectacular clip-reel of train crashes on film, done in the style of an Oscars "In Memorandum" montage, complete with sappy music. Warning: spoilers for lots of train crashes on film, if you consider that plot point a spoiler. (Most shots were in the trailers anyway).

[FiggyPudding]

I just came back from a preview (in an empty theater) and loved this! Apparently nobody else in town is hyped to see it early, but I hope it gets good word of mouth. I might just see it again in a fuller house so I can enjoy it again with the audience reactions.

I've got nothing against remakes or adaptations, but it was a relief to see an old-fashioned story. Sure, there are familiar references, but nothing so blatant as to be annoying.

It was surprisingly scary for me (from the suspenseful silences to the crashes), even though the ads allude to it I guess I was kind of fooled by the presence of cute little kids. The kids, especially Joel and Elle, were nicely understated when it was called for, and there were some genuinely funny spots. Nothing overly precocious, thank goodness.

I've liked Kyle Chandler ever since Homefront and Early Edition (though oddly I've had no interest in seeing Friday Night Lights), and he was a good blend of repressed pain and an almost warrior-like determination.

I forgot to add: The part during the credits is nicely done. And the movie overall did not remind me of either E.T. or The Goonies. I think it stands on its own.

[magazinewhore]

I just saw this. The theater was pretty full for a 3:45 Friday afternoon show. I liked it. It was entertaining and funny and good, but (and I'm so sorry) I didn't LOVE it. It was more akin to Goonies than it was to E.T. And it seemed like such a deliberate homage to Spielberg (the flashlight scene, the music, etc.) that it seemed more like an imitation. Still it was very good.

And, seriously, cut back on the lens flares. There were long blue lens flares when there were no lights in the background, which just made me think it was a technical error. But I had extremely high expectations and am a Spielberg weirdo (I think Jaws, Raiders and ET are the height of artistry), so I may not be the best gauge for which to judge the film.

[prada]

Loved, loved, loved it. It was such a good, refreshing movie in this time of sequels and remakes. The kids were great, especially Ella Fanning, and I've always loved Kyle Chandler. It was great to see the JJ alums getting bit parts in the film. Overall, good job Spielberg and JJ!

[Deleted]

I just saw this. The theater was pretty full for a 3:45 Friday afternoon show. I liked it. It was entertaining and funny and good, but (and I'm so sorry) I didn't LOVE it.

Same here. I knew very little about the movie going in and didn't realize it would be taking place in the early 80's. For some reason that bugged me. With that it became a little too much like an homage to Steven Speilberg rather than a movie that stands on its own.

[Mugsy]

The homage to Spielberg movies was intentional.

Just got back from seeing this with my 17-year-old daughter and we both loved it. She's never seen most of the movies it "homaged" - ET, Close Encounters, Goonies, Stand by Me - but really liked it. I didn't think it was like any of those movies, just had little bits that reminded you of them. If you didn't see those movies, it didn't matter.

Liked that the kids were normal looking, ordinary kids, instead of Disney-esque act-bots. Elle Fanning is a great little actress, and she certainly has grown up all of a sudden.

[forever1267]

Lost shout out! The Locksmith place was called John Locke. I'm sure there are plenty more "little things" in the film too.

Really enjoyed it. Saw it at a 1130 AM showing, and it was crowded. Very Spielbergian, but I love him so that was all good. The kids were terrific and the story was fun. Could have worked a little bit more on the relationships between the kids and their parents, but really really enjoyed it.

[Mugsy]

Another Lost shoutout was the monster - the clickety sound and the shaking of the trees before you knew what it was. Also Jurassic Park-ish in that way.

[huntergrayson]

Apparently, the kids' movie that runs through the credits was actually shot by the young cast themselves. That's mint!

And the young kid that plays the director sounds cool and wants to go to USC film school. Fight on, folks!