For the last couple years, and unfortunately I don't think they are doing this year, but every sunday during the summer, Marcus Cinema's in Orland Park, IL would show 35MM classic movies. Two that I was lucky enough to see on the big screen were Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Both times I walked out of the theater thinking "how cool it must have been to have seen those at their initial release."
Last night I got to feel what that was like with J.J. Abrams Super 8.
J.J. Abrams first feature length movie was Mission: Impossible III. In Mission: Impossible III, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) must get a hold of the "Rabbit's Foot" or else his wife will die at the hands of the films villain Owen Davian. Most movies would put great emphasis on what the Rabbit's foot is, where it came from, who created it and what can it do. Not Abrams, he puts at the forefront what is most important; his characters. Since Mission Impossible 1, Ethan Hunt has been this immortal-like spy who can get out of anything, but with M:I-III his family is in peril and he's no longer a spy, but a husband out to do whatever he can to save his wife. The humanizing of larger than life characters is something that is the key to Abrams films thus far. In his second directorial success, Star Trek, its the relationship between Kirk and Spock and with his third film Super 8, it's exploring the universal traits of friendship, loyalty, curiosity, and bravery in a group of young friends who are making a short movie but then get thrown into an adventure that put all those traits to the maximum test.
The cast of this movie succeeds in spades! Kyle Chandler who I'll always remember from the show Early Edition, plays Sheriff Lamb, his son Joe is at the center of the films mysterious goings on. But the supporting cast of Joe's friends take the cake, they all are almost a great modern day but "back then" version of the Goonies! yes I said The Goonies. Most of the comedic relief comes with these characters; its not forced but well deserved and believable. This adds to the authenticity of the films adventure. Also the relationship between father and son is a broken one at the beginning of the movie but is paid off with one of the most unique metaphors of letting go.
Steven Spielberg is a giant part of this success because he serves as Executive Producer on this passion project of Abrams, of which Speilberg is the grandfather of. Watching Super 8 I was reminded of movies like Jurassic Park, Jaws, and E.T. That sense of wonder and awe is so perfectly emulated in this movie that there were moments I was on the edge of my seat and my jaw was wide open. Another credit to the movie is that it gets underway almost immediately. The audience was not subjected to an hour long prologue before the meat of the movie started as so many movies do today.
The only downside I can see to this movie is that with all its hype, people will expect more than what they receive by the time they are walking out of the theater. Did the movie live up to the hype in my eyes? Obviously, yes. But I hope that when you go to see this movie and YOU SHOULD. You should know that while the main story revolves around a mysterious train crash and its contents, the real story is about the people involved and how they overcome such amazing obstacles. If your in the mood for adventure, comedy, horror, action; then this is your movie!
I throughly enjoyed the nostalgic and childlike feeling this movie gave me. I encourage everyone to run out and support this movie this weekend. Bring the whole family and enjoy!
Super 8 is in full release in conventional theaters and IMAX on Friday June 10
Deuces!
StuntmanBob
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