J.J. Abrams’ ode to childhood memories, mixed with appreciation for Steven Spielberg’s films can’t possibly recreate the magical experience of say ET or Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but damned if he doesn’t come close. Abrams does such a good job of recreating the kids vs. adults theme Spielberg popularized in the ‘80s, it brought me back to the pure joy I felt the first time I saw E.T. and The Goonies (Spielberg only came up with the story, and served as executive producer on The Goonies, but it counts). Sure, Super 8 isn’t perfect, but it’s a highly entertaining film that looks at life through the eyes of a group of kids.
It’s the late 1970’s, and summer in the small town of Lillian, Ohio is the kind of place where kids can ride their bikes and hang out without fear of harm. These kids aren’t slackers. In fact, they’re a highly motivated bunch who has channeled their love of horror and monster movies into their own filmmaking coterie. 14-year-old Joe (Joel Courtney), Charles (Riley Griffiths), Preston (Zach Mills), Martin (Gabriel Basso), and Cary (Ryan Lee) are in the midst of shooting their latest 8 mm zombie film for the Cleveland Super 8 Film Festival. Charles the fat kid is the director and de facto boss and Joe is the make-up guy. Having convinced beautiful, blond Alice Dainard to appear in the film, the boys are now ready to film a highly emotional scene in the evening at the local train station. The thrill of a real train passing behind the camera during filming turns to tragedy when the train derails and explodes.
Shortly after the accident, strange things start to happen all over town. Tight-lipped military men show up and start taking all kinds of scientific samples, mysterious electrical disturbances cause power outages and some sort of beast seems to be chasing away dogs and abducting people from the town. Joe and Charles think it’s an alien experiment gone wrong and a government cover-up. The story quickly becomes one of the kids using their using their guile and ingenuity to save the town and its citizens from the beast and the uncouth military men.
Super 8 effectively blends eighties-Spielbergesque storytelling with modern filmmaking techniques. Heck, even the score by Michael Giacchino has a real John Williams feel to it. The children possess a sense of wonder and curiosity that makes them aware of the dangers around them while the adults remain clueless or disbelieving. We also get a secondary storyline that deals with father-son relationships.
Bring the whole project together is the fine performances of all the child actors. Joel Courtney, who makes his film debut here, resembles Henry Thomas in E.T.; Riley Griffiths looks similar to Jerry O’Connell in Stand By Me. If that doesn’t scream 80’s movie, I don’t know what does. Ryan Lee is just the perfect 80’s movie kid: braces, a lisp, and an overbite. Last but not least, there’s Elle Fanning who simply shines as Alice. She shows strong acting ability throughout. Super 8 is one of those rare movies that combines action and fantasy with a strong story, and manages to produce a film suitable for the whole family.
Presented in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, this 1080p transfer looks about as good as the original print, which varies considerably in picture quality depending on the type of shot involved, the filmmakers having used 8 mm, 16 mm, 35 mm, and digital photography throughout the movie.
Images are clean and clear throughout, unless the filmmakers intended otherwise. Colors are bright and vivid when appropriate, and darker shots maintain their detail. Sharp definition, realistic skin tones, and no traces of filtering or edge enhancement in the transfer makes for a nice viewing experience.
Super 8 comes to Blu-ray with a stunning Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix, also available in French, Spanish and Portuguese Dolby 5.1 dubs. Surrounds and subwoofers will be tested quite frequently, especially during early sequences like the train derailment. Dialogue and the film’s score are crisp and well-defined, creating a wide soundstage that gets the job done perfectly. Directional effects are convincing, even during the films more somber moments.
English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles are available.
We get a very good selection of special features:
- Audio Commentary: Director J.J. Abrams, Producer Bryan Burk, and Cinematographer Larry Fong deliver a thorough commentary. They discuss the picture’s scope, shooting locales, filmmaking equipment and techniques, the quality of the cast and mix of veteran and novice actors, Steven Spielberg’s involvement in the production, special effects, and plenty more.
- The Dream Behind Super 8 (1080p, 16:28): J.J. Abrams discusses his childhood love of filmmaking and the parallels between his youth and elements of the film. It also looks at his work with Cinematographer Larry Fong, Bryan Burk, Matt Reeves; the contributions and influences of Steven Spielberg on the filmmakers; the film’s plot and development; and it meshing of styles and genres.
- The Search for New Faces (1080p, 17:46): This supplement examines the casting of the child actors and Abrams’ decision to cast relative unknowns for the picture.
- Meet Joel Courtney (1080p, 14:35): An introduction to the film’s lead actor.
- Rediscovering Steel Town (1080p, 18:24): A look at the benefits of shooting in Weirton, West Virginia and a brief history of the town.
- The Visitor Lives (1080p, 12:22): We get an in-depth process of creating the film’s creature, from initial concept to final rendition in the film.
- Scoring Super 8 (1080p, 5:29): A brief piece focusing on the life and contributions of Composer Michael Giacchino.
- Do You Believe in Magic? (1080p, 4:29): A short feature with Cinematographer/Magician Larry Fong.
- The 8mm Revolution (1080p, 8:15): A look at the importance of childhood 8mm films on the current crop of filmmakers, an enlightening history of the format, and its role in Super 8.
- Deconstructing the Train Crash (1080p): This interactive feature offers viewers a comprehensive examination of the entire process of creating a massive special effects sequence with three main areas of focus: pre-production, production, and post-production.
- Deleted Scenes (1080p, 12:47): Inside the 7-Eleven, Joe Writes New Pages, Joe Gives Charles New Pages, Jack Searches the Gas Station, Inside the Car Dealership, Joe Gets in Trouble, Lucy Goes Missing, Dry Brush Technique, Army Navy Store, Joe Watches Home Movies, Saying Goodnight, Cubes Shake the Red Trucks, Jack Finds Joe’s Backpack, and Joe and Cary Discover the Coffins.
- D-Box.
- Digital Copy.
- DVD Copy.