Super 8 "I believe you"

Remember when movies had an epic scale and a huge heart to boost? That a movie could have a huge production value with great mystery and political statements but at the same time be emotional and touching? These days it is hard to find those films. As we look back to the past we see films like either the Goonies or E.T. and get nostalgic. Thankfully, J.J. Abrams has given us a wonderful film that brings back that style. Giving the same feel that he gave Cloverfield but adding to the youth and emotional storyline that we haven't seen in one of these movies for so long. Now before I get rambling more let me give ya a synopsis, keep reading to get the rest of my feelings on Super 8.

Super 8 is a movie about a boy Joe and his friends who are trying to make a film. At the beginning of the film we learn that Joe's Mom has died in a factory accident and he is left with his father and it is clear they don't have a perfect relationship. As Joe tries to help his friend shoot the movie, Alice joins the shoot and Joe falls for her. During one night of shooting, a train passes and collides with a truck, leaving a trail of devastation and destruction along with something busting out of the cargo. As chaos ensues in the town, the military tries to cover everything up along with keeping secrets from police and citizens. The thing that busted out starts kidnapping people and eventually kidnaps Alice. So Joe must sneak past the military, save Alice, and try to find out what the thing is from the train before the military catches it.

Super 8 captures something about youth that we have seen in multiple movie, but for some reasons with this one it feels unique and powerful. This movie really is all about growing up. What does growing up mean? It means letting go of your past, taking responsibility for yourself, helping others even if you don't want to, and even doing the right thing when no one else will. The great thing about this picture is that it is not only Joe who does the growing up, but his father has to as well. Both men have lost someone close to them and through this experience they learn a lot about themselves. For Joe he has to become a leader to his friends and starts doing the right thing for someone he cares about even when facing the possibility of death. Joe's dad Jackson, played by Kyle Chandler from Friday Night Lights, has to get over the loss of his wife and become a true father to Joe. There is a great moments during the chaos near the end when Jackson grabs Joe and kindly says "I've got you" and you realize that they have a bright future and that Jackson realizes his responsibility to his son.

For me my favorite shot came at the end. Throughout the film Joe carries his mom's locket around with him to remember her, but at the end of the film there is a magnetic pull for everything metal in the town. The locket gets pulled in and Joe catches it and holds it. What w are seeing is that Joe, with his dad beside him, is holding on to his mom because he is scared to let go. After a while of holding it, Joe realizes that he must let go and try to pass on and learn to accept his mother's death. It is a great and emotional shot and I loved it. The best part thought, comes after as a water tower explodes, symbolizing the cleansing of their past and the promise of a bright future. It was my favorite shot of the film and it was truly breathtaking in my opinion.

This film does a great job at exploring issues for both kids and adults. Alice has to deal with an abusive and alcoholic drunk father. But as we learn later in the film, the father is partly responsibly for Joe's mom's death and he has to deal with guilt and the search for forgiveness. There is a great scene between Jackson and Alice's father when driving into town to save the kids. These two have had a dark history as seen through the film but here they finally talk things out. Alice's father asks for forgiveness and Jackson is finally able to admit that it was an accident. While it was small, it still was powerful and added a lot of depth for me.

From a behind the camera perspective of this film, I loved some of the epic battles in this movie. As we watch the kids run through their small town to find the alien thing, we see tanks, missiles, explosions and it all looks pretty damn good. It was impressive the size of the whole thing. I also enjoyed seeing the explosion of the train and the combination of CGI and real sets to come together in a realistic fashion. J.J. has a nice unique vision that I have enjoyed through his films and there wasn't anything in my opinion to complain about. Now there are a lot of similarities between this film and other films especially E.T. There is the same idea of don't trust the military and about growing up but for me that stuff didn't get in the way of the film at all. It is highly enjoyable. Has some great action scenes, the alien looks awesome, and it has great emotional depth that is needed for epics these days. I highly recommend Super 8 to anyone and will enjoy this movie for years. 4/5 stars.