Director: J.J. Abrams
Writer: J.J. Abrams
Stars: Elle Fanning, Amanda Michalka and Kyle Chandler
"A Distant Rattling causes Neary to swing around in his seat. His high beams, spotlight, lamps come back to life. Down the road there is a FOUR-WAY STOP. The signs are dancing to and fro, vibrating so violently that the metal around the edges curls against the force. CLICK! The intersection a hundred yards down the road is wash in the same intense light. But only for a second. His car lights and radio blast back and Neary screams." (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Columbia).
I still remember watching the scene on our National VHS Recorder, with my mouth wide open, occasionally screaming in excitement. I've always been an ardent fan of Spielberg Movies and so was super excited when I heard about 'Super 8' being a tribute to Spielberg's retro Sci-Fi Classics.
'Super 8' is not your typical monster movie. It stands up to the reputation of being a tribute; director JJ Abrams did for his mentor Steven Spielberg, and a good one at that indeed. The movie strongly depends on Steven's technique of using visuals as a Prominent Medium in a motion picture unlike the formula driven presets we've been getting in the name of Hollywood blockbusters. If all you want is some 90 minutes of VFX show reel, the movie about auto-configuring robo- aliens is still on, Super 8 is not for you.
‘Super 8’ revolves around a group of friends in a1979 suburb witnessing a suspicious train crash while filming it accidentally on their super 8 mm film stock. The movie is director JJ Abrams' first original project and is produced by Steven Spielberg. JJ Abrams purposefully adapts a lot of visual techniques, which Spielberg used in his Masterpieces 'Close encounters of the third kind' and 'ET'. One of those was the use of Lens flares. Even though JJ Abrams became infamous for his excessive use of Lens flares in 'Star Trek', this time it’s more relevant in recreating the actual aesthetics of an 80's night shot.
‘Super 8’ sees a lot of iconic resurfacing as well. From the famous level cross posts, suburban houses, military invasion and trucks to single parent dilemmas, it nods to 'Close encounters' and 'ET' at several instances. The movie takes off from the shattered family of Joe (Joel Courtney) whose mother just passed away in an accident, a similar situation to Elliot who is dealing with his father’s separation from the family (ET). You will also notice Jackson Lamb; the sheriff (Kyle Chandler) resembles Neary (Close Encounters of the third Kind) a lot while playing the frustrated and curious out-of-the -loop father. Even the kid with the bat playing in the breakfast table is a reference to the way suburban family was portrayed by Spielberg.
‘Super 8’ is, without a doubt, worth a watch. Rather than running around scary monsters in day light with a shaky camcorder, ‘Super 8’ keeps its focus on people, relationships and their emotional transitions. Good Character development, brilliant acting (especially the kids) decent plot and an amazing setup makes up for the weak storyline. The cinematography is excellent and so is the sound design. It reuses a lot of retro stocks for the background score, which syncs perfectly well with the visual treatment. CGI, though sparingly used, is top notch. I am not comparing ‘Super 8’ with either ‘Close encounters of the third kind’ or ‘ET’. JJ Abrams’ ‘Super 8’ was an intended homage, which is nostalgic also to a lot among us. Lets thank him for that.
‘Super 8’ certainly belongs to the list of best summer movies ever made.
Original Article URL:
http://www.movierecycle.com/movie-reviews/super-8-homage-retro-stevie/
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