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Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

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Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Old 06-12-11, 06:53 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by Groucho
Only J.J. Abrams could manage to overuse lens flare in a movie shot at night. In rural Ohio. During a power outage.
Thank effin Christ! Thats all I could think about during this flick. It even ends on a GD flare.
Old 06-12-11, 07:06 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

My only big gripe (and I caught it after the second time seeing it) and I whipped out my phone (after the movie was over) to look it up: the Rubix Cube wasn't invented until 1974! Edit: I thought the gravestone said 1969.

Last edited by Goldberg74; 06-12-11 at 07:38 PM.
Old 06-12-11, 07:08 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by ScissorPuppy
I think it depends on were you were at. I grew up in Florida and one city had Jr. High as 6-9 and High School as 10-12. The next city over had a Middle School from 6-8, Jr. High from 9-10 and High School from 11-12.
This was how I remember it being from the 80's up until around 95 when the population grew and the smaller city added a middle school and changed the structure to the middle/jr/high format.
Ok I figured, here in Miami it was elemtary school through 6th grade then jr high 7-9 and hs 10-12. Then it changed in the late 80's
Old 06-12-11, 07:17 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by Goldberg74
My only big gripe (and I caught it after the second time seeing it) and I whipped out my phone (after the movie was over) to look it up: the Rubix Cube wasn't invented until 1974!
Am I missing something? The movie was set in 1979.
Old 06-12-11, 07:27 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

I am utterly amazed at the depths to which people in the forum are willing to stoop, just to try to find something to criticize about this film.

Middle school versus junior high? Really? Here's a clue. Different regions of the United States call it by different names. Some start it in 6th grade, some in 7th. My wife grew up in Utah in the 1970s, and there it was middle school. I grew up in California in the 1970s, and there it was junior high. Good grief.

Oh, and "douche" as a pejorative has been around since at least the 1960s, and probably a lot longer than that.

This thread has turned into an even more spectacular train wreck than the one in the movie.
Old 06-12-11, 07:39 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by sherm42
Am I missing something? The movie was set in 1979.
Your right, for some reason I thought the gravestone said 1969. My bad.
Old 06-12-11, 08:00 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by Groucho
Only J.J. Abrams could manage to overuse lens flare in a movie shot at night. In rural Ohio. During a power outage.
I love the lens flares in Star Trek and thought they worked very well. In this movie, they look hilariously out of place to the point of being an anachronism.

Originally Posted by Mountain Biker
Yea, I caught that as well. I don't remember school being referred to as middle school until at least the 90's.
Did you grow up in Ohio?

Originally Posted by RoboDad
Middle school versus junior high? Really? Here's a clue. Different regions of the United States call it by different names. Some start it in 6th grade, some in 7th. My wife grew up in Utah in the 1970s, and there it was middle school. I grew up in California in the 1970s, and there it was junior high. Good grief.
<hr>

I had high hopes for this movie and pretty much agree with everything Suprmallet is saying. I would've enjoyed this movie more if there wasn't a monster involved, actually. Or alien.

Here's my pithy pull-quote: I enjoyed this movie a lot more when it was called Iron Giant.
Old 06-12-11, 11:12 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

4/5 stars and good movie
Old 06-12-11, 11:55 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

3/5 and I'm being generous. Terrible 3rd act, poorly designed monster, extremely derivative and lacking a soul, in spite of the fact Abrams tried to capture our hearts.

A wholly average affair.

Suprmallet nailed it.

On the plus side, the principles all performed well and the technical components (monster aside) were all spot on.

In terms of a monster movie, Cloverfield was far superior.
Old 06-13-11, 03:55 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by The Bus

Did you grow up in Ohio?


Nope. So Cal.
Old 06-14-11, 03:41 AM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by The Bus
I love the lens flares in Star Trek and thought they worked very well. In this movie, they look hilariously out of place to the point of being an anachronism.



Did you grow up in Ohio?



<hr>

I had high hopes for this movie and pretty much agree with everything Suprmallet is saying. I would've enjoyed this movie more if there wasn't a monster involved, actually. Or alien.

Here's my pithy pull-quote: I enjoyed this movie a lot more when it was called Iron Giant.
In no way, shape, or form was this anything like Iron Giant.
Old 06-14-11, 03:49 AM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by Spottedfeather
In no way, shape, or form was this anything like Iron Giant.
Well, that's pretty silly. At the very least, both are period pieces. Both are sci-fi films. Both feature a young boy as the protagonist, and the young boy has a single parent. Both are about beings that seem frightening at first, but turn out to be non-malicious. Both beings are eventually attacked by the military.
Old 06-14-11, 04:16 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

I thought it was pretty mint

It was riddled with more cliches than I've ever seen in a movie but I like to think that was done on purpose. Definitely could've done without the F word -- didn't feel right at all. The CG monster was pretty poorly done as well. Does anyone involved with the movie care that the Alien in 1979's Alien looked better than this? Even the aliens in Independence Day looked better. Especially in this movie where they hardly showed the thing, hire some people next time to build an alien in real life not in a computer! Other than that, I thought the movie worked really well. The kid actors were great. I think Elle Fanning has a future ahead of her. 4/5 stars.
Old 06-14-11, 10:32 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt
I thought it was pretty mint

It was riddled with more cliches than I've ever seen in a movie but I like to think that was done on purpose. Definitely could've done without the F word -- didn't feel right at all. The CG monster was pretty poorly done as well. Does anyone involved with the movie care that the Alien in 1979's Alien looked better than this? Even the aliens in Independence Day looked better. Especially in this movie where they hardly showed the thing, hire some people next time to build an alien in real life not in a computer! Other than that, I thought the movie worked really well. The kid actors were great. I think Elle Fanning has a future ahead of her. 4/5 stars.
In my opinion it's completely unfair to compare this alien to the one in Alien. The Alien is probably the best looking and most iconic alien in all of cinema.

Now that I think about it, ET is probably more iconic, but I honestly can't think of a better looking alien than the one in Alien.
Old 06-14-11, 10:35 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by whoopdido
In my opinion it's completely unfair to compare this alien to the one in Alien. The Alien is probably the best looking and most iconic alien in all of cinema.

Now that I think about it, ET is probably more iconic, but I honestly can't think of a better looking alien than the one in Alien.
I agree with you here. They set the bar so high with that alien that it will likely never be matched. And it's not just the alien itself but everything else that goes with it: the ship, the queen, etc.
Old 06-14-11, 10:38 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by whoopdido
In my opinion it's completely unfair to compare this alien to the one in Alien. The Alien is probably the best looking and most iconic alien in all of cinema.

Now that I think about it, ET is probably more iconic, but I honestly can't think of a better looking alien than the one in Alien.
Well, I wasn't making a point about the design just that it wasn't CG. The aliens in Independence Day looked more realistic.
Old 06-14-11, 10:39 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by dsa_shea
I agree with you here. They set the bar so high with that alien that it will likely never be matched. And it's not just the alien itself but everything else that goes with it: the ship, the queen, etc.
Right...probably the only alien that can rival the original alien would be the Queen. The Queen might even be better looking.

I'm a huge Alien/Aliens fan, but I truly think that the Queen is the coolest character I've ever seen in a movie.

But you're right...everything about Alien and Aliens is pretty much perfect. The creatures and the sets are simply amazing.
Old 06-14-11, 10:43 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt
Well, I wasn't making a point about the design just that it wasn't CG. The aliens in Independence Day looked more realistic.
I agree with you that the alien was poorly done. That was my major gripe about Super 8. I guess my point is that it was unfair to compare it with possibly the best alien ever though. It would be like being bummed that such and such baseball player today isn't as good as Babe Ruth was. It's pretty hard to be better than the best.
Old 06-14-11, 11:40 PM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

I didn't like the alien storyline. I wish they had just made a movie about the group of kids.
Old 06-15-11, 12:28 AM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Loved it. I thought kids were terrific, and loved the look and feel of the film. There were some pretty terrific moments, the train crash was intense and some of the creature scenes were awesome.
Old 06-15-11, 02:09 AM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Wow I'm pretty surprised at the mixed response here. Though the poll reflects most people really liked it, im surprised there's not more discussion and frankly, more praise. Fanboyish praise.

I found the movie to be wholly satisfying. Not only does it play out as a love letter to Spielberg with it's themes, characters, shots, pacing etc, but also to a host of other movies that, at least for me personally, I grew up on. It does so in very intelligent and often subtle ways. The obvious comparisons aside, I dug little things like the inclusion of “hurl” jokes (Stand By Me, Problem Child, Sandlot) and felt shades of things as obscure as The Gate, Monster Squad, The Explorers. I thought it was brilliant because while a lot of people could look at the film and be reminded of E.T. or Goonies and I think that would be enough, there's this whole other level for movie geeks, that's even deeper than just dropping Romero's name into the zombie flick.


The casting was spot on, no huge names to detract you and the kid's were played perfectly, especially Fanning and Courtney. Cute little touches like putting Charles in a shirt similar to one that O'Connoll wore in Stand By Me and kids on bikes were fun. Everyone cast looked like they were movie stars in the early to mid 80s, more than just haircuts and clothing, I'm talking body types and bone structure.

The movie was scary when it needed to be and earned all it's quiet, powerful moments as well. The monster design is very Cloverfield, by way of Transformers, but I did get shades of IT when it was lurking around in the shadows almost like an arachnid. I found it menacing, believable and surprisingly complex. It worked.

As pointed out, the score over he opening images is very effective. The Kelvin sign gag was great and the kill scenes were very reminiscent of Jaws or Jurassic Park, making them tense and effective and fun.

I do think part of the magic of the movie is that it truly, truly feels of it's era. It's completely successful in feeling like it came from a different time... as much as it can be when the viewer knows ahead that it was made in 2011, not 30 years ago, and utilizing modern day effects. If you think that it's a terrible aspiration for a film to evoke a different era of filmmaking as a primary ambition, then I am certain to believe that you would not care much for this movie due to that bias. This movie has soul. It really does. It has analog warmth, it is Super 8 after all.

In the end, I felt magic. Now, I still feel magic when I watch a great film, but this was a special kind of love for a movie that I haven't felt since I was younger and probably party because I WAS younger. I didn't know I could still feel like this watching a movie for the first time. Like how a first kiss with a girl that you actually like is always kinda awesome, this was almost like going back and having a first, first kiss again. It's a fun monster movie. A great 80s kid flick. A damn fine movie.
Old 06-15-11, 02:19 AM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Even though you aren't kevin bacon, that is one heartfelt love letter.


Unfortunately I disagree with your overall assessment.

Okay...I'll give you the part about Abrams successfully recreating the era and the film feeling like it came from another time and place. Indeed.
Old 06-15-11, 02:41 AM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by droidguy1119
Well, that's pretty silly. At the very least, both are period pieces. Both are sci-fi films. Both feature a young boy as the protagonist, and the young boy has a single parent. Both are about beings that seem frightening at first, but turn out to be non-malicious. Both beings are eventually attacked by the military.
Sure, if you put it so vaguely like that. Except that the robot in Iron Giant didn't eat anybody.
Old 06-15-11, 06:09 AM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by Spottedfeather
Sure, if you put it so vaguely like that. Except that the robot in Iron Giant didn't eat anybody.
Aaaaand the Super 8 Monster didn't do a cannonball into a lake.
Old 06-15-11, 10:25 AM
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Re: Super 8 (Abrams, 2011) — The Reviews Thread

Originally Posted by whoopdido
In my opinion it's completely unfair to compare this alien to the one in Alien. The Alien is probably the best looking and most iconic alien in all of cinema.

Now that I think about it, ET is probably more iconic, but I honestly can't think of a better looking alien than the one in Alien.
This one ain't bad:


But this one's really hard to beat:

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