J.J. Abrams' Super 8

[YoNoSe]

I thought it was great. It did feel like a Spielberg movie from the 70s or 80s without feeling like a ripoff.

I was the same age as those kids in 1979, so I was really able to connect with it. There were so many things in their rooms that I recognized from when I was a kid. Except that I had a lot more SW stuff. And I loved that they mentioned D!ck Smith's Do-It-Yourself Monster Make-Up, and that they actually used it. The zombie movie was awesome!

My one gripe is Abrams' stupid use of lens flares. I actually thought they worked well in Star Trek, here they were unnecessary distraction.

I also thought the score was a little underwhelming. It wasn't bad, but afterward I couldn't remember any of it.

I actually felt the opposite about the flares - found them distracting in Trek and less evident here. In fact I can only think of one instance that I even noticed a lens flare.

I do agree that it's not Giacchino's strongest score. The first thing I did when I got home was check IMDB to see if it was actually him. Maybe it was just more subtle than usual? I would like to see this one again to digest it now that I know what to expect.

 

[Mightytrex]

Super 8 had a great feeling to it. Loved the storyline and plot. Monster was ok seen better overall 9/10 great film!

 

[jrice73]

Me too! I bought that Hasbro Toy for 170...

I hope Abrams and Bad Robot get together with Hasbro again to bring us a Super 8 Monster figure (who J.J. calls "Cooper") for later this year or next. Hasbro's Cloverfield is awesome in itself but having a little Cooper buddy to go with it would be superb. For everybody who wants some extra information about Cooper and Super 8 check this out https://www.aintitcool.com/node/49998 The full USAF film, which you saw bits and pieces of in Super 8, can now be viewed in its entirety by clicking on that link.

 

[jrice73]

I thought it was great. It did feel like a Spielberg movie from the 70s or 80s without feeling like a ripoff.

I was the same age as those kids in 1979, so I was really able to connect with it. There were so many things in their rooms that I recognized from when I was a kid. Except that I had a lot more SW stuff. And I loved that they mentioned D!ck Smith's Do-It-Yourself Monster Make-Up, and that they actually used it. The zombie movie was awesome!

My one gripe is Abrams' stupid use of lens flares. I actually thought they worked well in Star Trek, here they were unnecessary distraction.

I also thought the score was a little underwhelming. It wasn't bad, but afterward I couldn't remember any of it.

The funny thing is though is the two big films that Super 8 is paying tribute to, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and John Carpenter's The Thing, used lens flares like crazy. Went back and watched both of those great films this evening and the lens flares were like everywhere. I guess I really noticed them more than ever after watching Super 8.

 

[Batty]

The funny thing is though is the two big films that Super 8 is paying tribute to, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and John Carpenter's The Thing, used lens flares like crazy. Went back and watched both of those great films this evening and the lens flares were like everywhere. I guess I really noticed them more than ever after watching Super 8.

Yes, The Thing and Close Encounters do have flares, but they're not as deliberate or intrusive in the way Abrams uses them. Even if there aren't any direct lights showing in the scene you can see these huge blue streaks that go all across the screen.

 

[Batty]

I loved the train station scene, but really didn't need the giant blue streaks.

 

[The Mike]

Those kids cursed a LOT. It was appropriate but they did say holy____, sh__, d_ck, pu__y. That stoner kid dropped an f-bomb, too.

But whatever. I've seen Pirates, Thor, X-Men and Super 8 this summer and Super 8 is easily my favorite. Much as I love comics it's nice to see some original characters and some real emotion, even if the story is familiar.

I watched The Goonies recently and was shocked at how much those kids cursed for the time the film was out, now every word out of most pre-teen and young teen kid's mouths is a ____ or ____ or _____ or _____ or ____ so I'm actually not surprised that was there. I probably won't see this in the theaters as there are way too many things hitting right now so does someone want to throw what "Cooper" looks like or is in Spoiler tags for me?

 

[YoNoSe]

I watched The Goonies recently and was shocked at how much those kids cursed for the time the film was out, now every word out of most pre-teen and young teen kid's mouths is a ____ or ____ or _____ or _____ or ____ so I'm actually not surprised that was there. I probably won't see this in the theaters as there are way too many things hitting right now so does someone want to throw what "Cooper" looks like or is in Spoiler tags for me?

Description -

Spoiler:

Cooper is a very large arachnid-type (multiple legs and capable of spinning a web but more mammal-like in his texture and movement) alien but with a head and somewhat expressive face.He makes clicky noises and such with his mouth but can communicate his feelings through physical touch. His precise size is hard to tell exactly but he's larger than a car, smaller than a school bus. He is almost always obscured in some way, even towards the end.

If you want to know his backstory/intentions -

Spoiler:

He crashed on Earth years ago and has been kept captive and tested on by the government. His only motivation is to rebuild his ship and GTFO of here. But he will smoosh, eat, and destroy whatever he needs to in order to stay alive and accomplish his escape. And he does so with gusto.

Obviously I would recommend anyone go see the movie rather than read the spoiler but I don't think the creature's plan or appearance are as important as the kids and their experiences. A friend asked me when i got back today what the "big reveal" was and I didn't know what he meant. The story was exactly what is hinted at in the commercials and the creature design is effective but not especially iconic or surprising. I don't know, maybe some people are expecting an M. Night twist?

 

[MarfMaster]

I loved the train station scene, but really didn't need the giant blue streaks.

JJ Abrams is great, but man does he love him some lens flares

Just got back from seeing this, loved it

Spoiler:

Could have done without the full cgi facial reveal of the alien...but over all it was great. It's amazing how much more a movie can suck you in when it's full of unknown actors.

 

[YoNoSe]

I was disappointed to learn this isn't an official poster - it's a fan made Struzan-inspired piece. Really well done, IMO

 

[tamato]

Just got back from seeing it and I totally loved it! A real homage to the old Spielberg classics! For me personally I was totally pulled into the time and setting of the movie as I would've been close to the age of the kids! It's fun to recognize all the old toys and models I grew up with!

 

[p!tu]

JJ Abrams is great, but man does he love him some lens flares

Just got back from seeing this, loved it

Spoiler:

Could have done without the full cgi facial reveal of the alien...but over all it was great. It's amazing how much more a movie can suck you in when it's full of unknown actors.

Spoiler:

What? That Reveal said so much! i mean that Alien was always in attack mode until he had the kid in his hand and it actually pulled back its protective eye thing like lizards do. It was having a moment with the kid! that scene was so powerful.

 

[Boba Ben]

I thought the kids making a movie story was really fun and engaging, but

Spoiler:

when it came to the alien, I just didn't really feel sympathy for him. I could understand him killing the military guys that had tortured him and were hunting him, but he cocooned innocent people and ate them. He also killed the sheriff and housewife lady when they were just trying to escape. It kind of bugged me and made Joe's understanding of the alien and giving up the locket so that he could escape at the end feel kind of weird.

 

[YoNoSe]

I thought the kids making a movie story was really fun and engaging, but

Spoiler:

when it came to the alien, I just didn't really feel sympathy for him. I could understand him killing the military guys that had tortured him and were hunting him, but he cocooned innocent people and ate them. He also killed the sheriff and housewife lady when they were just trying to escape. It kind of bugged me and made Joe's understanding of the alien and giving up the locket so that he could escape at the end feel kind of weird.

Spoiler:

I LOVED the fact that Cooper ate and killed innocents because he was effing furious after years of captivity and tests. He was so angry about his abuses that he didn't discriminate. It made the moment he has with Joe mean something because he was able to relate to him.
The locket, as I interpreted it, was not Joe giving it up for the escape but Joe letting go of his mother. A symbolic step forward.

Just my $.02.

 

[MarfMaster]

Spoiler:

What? That Reveal said so much! i mean that Alien was always in attack mode until he had the kid in his hand and it actually pulled back its protective eye thing like lizards do. It was having a moment with the kid! that scene was so powerful.

I get why they did it...there's just a part of me that misses the creative ways directors told stories when their effects were limited by the absence of cgi. Made things more mysterious and left more up to our imaginations.

 

[CelticPredator]

I thought the kids making a movie story was really fun and engaging, but

Spoiler:

when it came to the alien, I just didn't really feel sympathy for him. I could understand him killing the military guys that had tortured him and were hunting him, but he cocooned innocent people and ate them. He also killed the sheriff and housewife lady when they were just trying to escape. It kind of bugged me and made Joe's understanding of the alien and giving up the locket so that he could escape at the end feel kind of weird.

Spoiler:

But to him, they WERENT innocent...think about it....if your only contact with an alien species is, you were dissected, probed, borderlined tortured...would you treat this species with anything BUT extreme hostility? I get the Alien. He's ____ing pissed off. He's like ____ this race. ____ it all to hell. They screwed me, so now i'll munch on their limbs. And then he meets Joe...who is going through something horrible, and who knows that not every single human is evil...and so the Alien gets this, and leaves without any more issues.

 

[CelticPredator]

I get why they did it...there's just a part of me that misses the creative ways directors told stories when their effects were limited by the absence of cgi. Made things more mysterious and left more up to our imaginations.

Well, they HAD to show the monster...if you dont, then you have zero pay off.

Alien showed the monster.

Predator showed the monster.

Ect...

 

[papa-alpha-charlie]

saw it today thought it was very good. the kids were great.

 

[Boba Ben]

Spoiler:

But to him, they WERENT innocent...think about it....if your only contact with an alien species is, you were dissected, probed, borderlined tortured...would you treat this species with anything BUT extreme hostility? I get the Alien. He's ____ing pissed off. He's like ____ this race. ____ it all to hell. They screwed me, so now i'll munch on their limbs. And then he meets Joe...who is going through something horrible, and who knows that not every single human is evil...and so the Alien gets this, and leaves without any more issues.

Spoiler:

From what I gathered the alien made a psychic connection with every person it touched as Alice also had understood the alien's fear and pain when Joe woke her up. I don't see how this psychic creature could not have any understanding of these people that are just innocent bystanders and as far as I can tell would have the same feeling of understanding and empathy that Alice, Old Man Woodward, and Joe had toward him. The alien's kind of a bastard and it seemed weird to me that after losing his mother, Joe would be okay with this alien coming in and murdering somebody's mother/father/grandfather etc. Of course, this is just my opinion.

 

[The Ween]

Seen this today and it was great.

The movie making remind me of CelticP.