Expectations. We all have them before enter the theatre. With all the hype, trailers and promotions these gargantuan movie productions spew onto us, the poor innocent movie goers, we can’t help but to form presuppositions as to what the story is about or how fast paced or thrilling the whole movie would be. With today’s give-it-all-up trailers, I know friends who would avoid watching any trailers at all so that their movie experience won’t be spoilt.
Consideration for such matters is why producer-writer-director JJ Abrams created so few trailers which don’t reveal any footage past the first half hour of the movie. His plan: to recapture that long lost anticipation of the unknown, that sense of surprise and wonderment at the handiwork of the director. Well, it pains me to inform you that it doesn’t work. People are still going to the cinemas expecting something or other. Spoilt little brats aren’t we?
Super 8’s premise is as such: a group of six pre-teenage kids, 5 boys and 1 girl who set out to make a motion picture for entry into a film festival in 1979. The girl is played by Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning’s sister, and the charisma she commands on screen is marvellous to watch. One night they were filming at a train station, and the unthinkable happened, a car jumped onto the tracks and caused a passing train to derail. This scene is one dragged out disaster sequence you wouldn’t want to miss; too spectacular to be spent for restroom breaks.
But then the train’s cargo was not ordinary. It carried a beast, a beast that throughout the movie will only be revealed bit by bit. This is an obvious tactic previously employed in movies of the 70s like Jaws. And so in the aftermath of the crash, the beast broke out from its vehicular prison only to singly attack the inhabitants of a nearby town. Despite the pandemonium erupting in their town, the six kids are determined to complete their film project hoping that it brings ‘production value’.
For most of the movie, the beast and its nightly aggressions form only the backdrop. Because the core of the story revolves around the relationships between the six kids with some parental figures added into the mix. Without detailing each character, I would say that the kids did have that synergy that translated into utter believability on the silver screen. The character intensive story line proved to be engaging for me at least.
Well the down side to all of this is that audience members who expect a monster movie would be completely disappointed. Some had felt that they were watching a children’s show instead. On the other hand if you were expecting an ET-like interaction with the kids, you would probably leave discontented. Very tricky indeed, by removing so many expectations ahead of the screening, Spielberg and Abrams have possibly missed the target audience.
And I have to say something about the beast itself. It is incredibly unimaginative. It looks like pieces of various monster characters you would find in video games put together coated in a monotone brownish black paint. Totally forgettable indeed, like in the video game, it’s a boss monster you have to defeat to get to the next level.
If you’re the type who thinks endings either make or break the film, then I’ll admit that it is a little cracked. Super 8’s ending scantly reminds me of that for Indiana Jones 4, the crystal skull kingdom movie. (Don’t worry, no spoilers)The gist of it is that the mystery beast is revealed, and the show’s protagonists have some sort of interaction with it. Some measure of veneration and respect is shown to the beast, and before you know it, it leaves the planet.
Make sure you stay for the credits because you get to see the gang's 'final product' - that is their film entry for the festival. One friend of mine said he didn't like the movie but that movie-within-a-movie made it all worthwhile. That's when you piece all those loose scenes together and given their lack of resources, they came up with something cute, adorable and just out right funny.
I’d like to think that JJ Abrams is the new Spielberg of our generation. Lost, Alias and Fringe are so complex, but managed to pique my interest episode after episode. Super 8 may not be the ideal summer flick, but it bears many JJ Abrams qualities. Now if only Spielberg didn’t mess with the ending (just kidding). The fact is that Super 8 is a movie about relationships with a monster lurking around in the background. Hence, I believe the key to its enjoyment is knowing what to expect. 7/10.
Consideration for such matters is why producer-writer-director JJ Abrams created so few trailers which don’t reveal any footage past the first half hour of the movie. His plan: to recapture that long lost anticipation of the unknown, that sense of surprise and wonderment at the handiwork of the director. Well, it pains me to inform you that it doesn’t work. People are still going to the cinemas expecting something or other. Spoilt little brats aren’t we?
Super 8’s premise is as such: a group of six pre-teenage kids, 5 boys and 1 girl who set out to make a motion picture for entry into a film festival in 1979. The girl is played by Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning’s sister, and the charisma she commands on screen is marvellous to watch. One night they were filming at a train station, and the unthinkable happened, a car jumped onto the tracks and caused a passing train to derail. This scene is one dragged out disaster sequence you wouldn’t want to miss; too spectacular to be spent for restroom breaks.
But then the train’s cargo was not ordinary. It carried a beast, a beast that throughout the movie will only be revealed bit by bit. This is an obvious tactic previously employed in movies of the 70s like Jaws. And so in the aftermath of the crash, the beast broke out from its vehicular prison only to singly attack the inhabitants of a nearby town. Despite the pandemonium erupting in their town, the six kids are determined to complete their film project hoping that it brings ‘production value’.
For most of the movie, the beast and its nightly aggressions form only the backdrop. Because the core of the story revolves around the relationships between the six kids with some parental figures added into the mix. Without detailing each character, I would say that the kids did have that synergy that translated into utter believability on the silver screen. The character intensive story line proved to be engaging for me at least.
Well the down side to all of this is that audience members who expect a monster movie would be completely disappointed. Some had felt that they were watching a children’s show instead. On the other hand if you were expecting an ET-like interaction with the kids, you would probably leave discontented. Very tricky indeed, by removing so many expectations ahead of the screening, Spielberg and Abrams have possibly missed the target audience.
And I have to say something about the beast itself. It is incredibly unimaginative. It looks like pieces of various monster characters you would find in video games put together coated in a monotone brownish black paint. Totally forgettable indeed, like in the video game, it’s a boss monster you have to defeat to get to the next level.
If you’re the type who thinks endings either make or break the film, then I’ll admit that it is a little cracked. Super 8’s ending scantly reminds me of that for Indiana Jones 4, the crystal skull kingdom movie. (Don’t worry, no spoilers)The gist of it is that the mystery beast is revealed, and the show’s protagonists have some sort of interaction with it. Some measure of veneration and respect is shown to the beast, and before you know it, it leaves the planet.
Make sure you stay for the credits because you get to see the gang's 'final product' - that is their film entry for the festival. One friend of mine said he didn't like the movie but that movie-within-a-movie made it all worthwhile. That's when you piece all those loose scenes together and given their lack of resources, they came up with something cute, adorable and just out right funny.
I’d like to think that JJ Abrams is the new Spielberg of our generation. Lost, Alias and Fringe are so complex, but managed to pique my interest episode after episode. Super 8 may not be the ideal summer flick, but it bears many JJ Abrams qualities. Now if only Spielberg didn’t mess with the ending (just kidding). The fact is that Super 8 is a movie about relationships with a monster lurking around in the background. Hence, I believe the key to its enjoyment is knowing what to expect. 7/10.
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