Super 8

[Krug]

Had a lot of potential, but the big reveal was never going to live up to the hype. Film was at its best when it focused on the kids filmmaking, though I think the director should have been shown to be a bit more competent rather than an Ed Wood.

Quite disliked it when

Spoiler

most of the kids got seperated at the end; the charisma between the kids was the best thing going for it. The alien was pretty much generic; somewhere between ET and Cloverfield.

Could have been brilliant but just ended up.. slightly above meh. Or.. 6/10.

 

[frankthedm]

Spoiler

somewhere between ET and Cloverfield.

That's a pretty big ballpark.

Thanks for the heads up though. The first trailers made me think of an eclectic mix of E.T. and IT. It will be a shame if

Spoiler

the kids

are all the movie has going for it since

Spoiler

the reveal

would be EXACTLY why I went to go see the movie.

Kinda like how Hearts in Atlantis was completely ruined IMHO by removing the actual

Spoiler

Low Men in Yellow Coats

.

 

[Stumblewyk]

I've been describing it as The Goonies meets E.T. meets Jurassic Park.

It's got that childlike sense of exploration and wonder that The Goonies oozed, the sentimentality and earnestness that permeated E.T., and the sense of obvious dread and audience awareness that something bad was coming from Jurassic Park.

All that being said - the monster was kind of a let down. And the comparison of the alien to

Spoiler

E.T. and Cloverfield

is an apt one. He looks like a little bit of each. Apprently, in J.J.'s universe, aliens all have

Spoiler

6 limbs, flat faces, and grow to incredible proportions (even though they live primarily underground). Seriously...even the baby red Cloverfield in the new Star Trek met these criterion.

Still, I'd rate it higher than a 6/10. I'd put it somewhere up around a 7.5. It's a good movie. But if you're genre savvy, or a fan of monster movies, it's going to let you down a bit. =/

 

[frankthedm]

But if you're genre savvy, or a fan of monster movies, it's going to let you down a bit. =/

TV Tropes Will Ruin Your Life - Television Tropes & Idioms

 

[The Serge]

It was two distinct stories that Abrams tried, and failed, to merge into one. I was far more interested in the children and their experiences and revelations than I was in the extranatural aspects of the tail. The weak attempt at the end to align the protagonist's experiences (read: relevation) with the the McGuffin was limp, and the resolution with the parents to their children was rushed. So, while I liked the movie, I wouldn't buy it and am unlikely to watch it again.

Spoiler:

Spoiler

Also, why in two movies this summer (X-Men: First Class being the other) do the black people either die or end up being villains? Sheesh! And I have hard time understanding why/how there was a high-ranking African American scientist involved in any of the events that apparently took place years earlier.

 

[Mark CMG]

Kids were the best part. Not a bad flick. It's a message piece and that is always going to lead a story in certain directions. I think the

Spoiler

creature is kept to a lower level of awesome to keep it from distracting from the kids and the message

.