Super 8 - (June 10th, 2011): PG-13
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #1 with $35,451,168
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $44,682,350
Gross Revenue: $53,284,286
Budget: $50 million
Producer: Steven Spielberg
Director: J.J. Abrams
As both a producer and a director, Steven Spielberg is responsible for some of the highest quality and most memorable films in Hollywood history, including but not limited to: Schindler’s List (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jaws (1975) and Jurassic Park (1993); needless to say, anytime this record-braking blockbuster filmmaker attaches his name to a project, you pay attention. J.J. Abrams has been building his own big-screen reputation recently, but as both writer and director this time around, Super 8 would serve as the increasingly popular director’s first original project. With these two joining forces behind the camera, audiences could expect suspense, awe, and adventure, but as anyone who saw the film’s trailer could tell you, there was absolutely no guarantee concerning what form or what direction the project would ultimately follow. Now, a certain amount of mystery concerning the plot of the film can be a good thing, but for as much talent as Super 8 had behind the camera, there weren’t any big names that would be on screen to draw a strong audience (Kyle Chandler certainly had a following from NBC’s Friday Night Lights, but the young cast remained relatively unknown). Paramount seemed to recognize this discrepancy, engaging in a number of last-minute promotional efforts (free sneak-peaks and Twitter-hosted previews) to strengthen widespread interest in the film. Though I wasn’t going to spring for a midnight showing, sheer curiosity was more than enough to justify my buying a ticket for Super 8 during its opening weekend.
Set in 1979, Super 8 follows young Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) and his friends as they attempt to make a low-budget zombie movie in a small Ohio town using Super 8 film. One night, as the group of friends is shooting, they witness a train-derailment, and in the aftermath, a mysterious creature escapes from its secured compartment. The Air Force soon arrives to secure the crash-sight, with the commanding officer, Colonel Nelec (Noah Emmerich) sharing very little information with local deputy Jackson Lamb (Kyle Chandler), who also happens to be Joe’s recently-widowed father. As Joe and his friends decide to remain silent about what they witnessed, strange occurrences start to plague the town, such as all local pets running away, missing kitchen appliances and car engines, and a number of sudden disappearances. Still recovering from his mother’s death and his virtually non-existent relationship with his father, Joe grows closer to his love-interest, Alice (Elle Fanning); however, once she is abducted by the creature, the entire group of young friends decide to work together to help solve this growing conspiracy before it is too late.
Given the mysterious nature of the previews, it should come as no surprise that Super 8 is filled with a profound sense of not only wonder, but also considerable suspense…these notions are most evident whenever the mysterious creature appears or the local citizens try to piece together the strange events plaguing the town. In terms of acting, the young cast does surprisingly well, perfectly embodying the curiosity, innocence, and loyalty of youth that is sure to have audiences pining for the wonder years that have long since passed. Besides demonstrating an unexpected talent for comedic timing (which complements already-humorous dialogue), the young cast also showcases some early talent which is sure to take Hollywood by storm in the near future. The clear standout among the young friends is Elle Fanning (you might have heard of her older sister…Dakota), not only generating girl-next-door chemistry with Joel Courtney but also showcasing a range of emotion that is very impressive for a 13-year-old…she easily trumps some actresses triple her age. However, despite how much I enjoyed this cast, I feel that they could have flourished even more under a different script, as, in its entirety, Super 8 is largely disappointing.
Considering the résumés boasted by both the producer and the director and all the hype and mystery that surrounded Super 8, I was shocked to find myself bored as I waited for any sort of resolution to the storyline. Dangling the truth in front of audiences in the form of small clues about a military cover-up or darkened blink-and-you-miss-it shots of the creature can only hold audience attention for so long, and once the big reveal occurs, it all feels too familiar. J.J. Abrams’ direction echoes that of Steven Spielberg so strongly that the film feels like little more than homage to the famed filmmaker; maybe my time would have been better spent simply re-watching E.T. or Close Encounters of the Third Kind. And, for being the only barely-recognizable name on the cast list, Kyle Chandler does little more than rattle off his lines, which only drag along plot points that are largely derivative of much better films. Let’s put this all into perspective…the zombie film that the kids are shooting appears during the closing credits, and I found that more entertaining than the actual movie. Bottom line, when an audience walks into a theater with zero preconceptions concerning a story, filmmakers of this caliber should have been able to produce something considerably more unique and entertaining.
From a box office perspective, Paramount’s last-minute efforts helped Super 8 earn the top spot with an opening weekend of over $35, but that number has to be a little embarrassing for a hyped summer film with Spielberg’s name attached. Maybe the early trailers were a little too mysterious to generate a strong draw at the theater, especially when the competition for audience attention is so strong during the summer season. Critics are singing the praises of this sci-fi, coming-of-age tale, but as my regular readers know, I have absolutely no problem disagreeing with mainstream opinion. With Green Lantern and Mr. Popper’s Penguins opening Friday, I suspect that Super 8’s box office haul will plummet. Not only did I expect more from Super 8, I largely believe that audiences deserved more…I couldn’t tell anyone to rush to the theater for this one in good conscience.
Overall Recommendation: Low
