JJ Abrams - Super 8

[jmood88]

Re: JJ Abrams - Super 8

Yeah I'm going to buy it when it comes out on Blu-Ray but I just thought that the last 10-15 minutes were too cliched and corny.

[Kanobi]

Re: JJ Abrams - Super 8

Saw it today and loved it. Great main story and sub-plots. Had that 'satisified' feelin when I left the theater. Film felt complete and was a great tribute to the old 80's flicks. Also, the lead kid actor brought the same feel to the screen as 'Mikey' did in the Goonies. Great casting. All the kids had a look and charisma that just fit perfectly. My only gripe would be....

Spoiler

Who survives a head-on collision in a pick-up against a train? They didn't even need the guy to live. His recordings and notes were enough

But that's it.

[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: JJ Abrams - Super 8

Saw it today and loved it. Great main story and sub-plots. Had that 'satisified' feelin when I left the theater. Film felt complete and was a great tribute to the old 80's flicks. Also, the lead kid actor brought the same feel to the screen as 'Mikey' did in the Goonies. Great casting. All the kids had a look and charisma that just fit perfectly. My only gripe would be....

Spoiler

Who survives a head-on collision in a pick-up against a train? They didn't even need the guy to live. His recordings and notes were enough

But that's it.

Spoiler

To tell the kids to be quiet. Plus it got the whole government involvement story line going.

Wasn't Super 8 supposed to be JJ's secret masterpiece? I liked it, but it was still nothing special or even that original.

[Kanobi]

Re: JJ Abrams - Super 8

Spoiler

To tell the kids to be quiet. Plus it got the whole government involvement story line going.

Spoiler

Good point. It's possible, had the prof not warned them, that the kids would've run right to the airforce guys when they showed up with the flashlights instead of running away in the car. But still...him dying right after the warning (or while holding the gun out) makes more sense. No way he should've been alive for questioning afterward.

Wasn't Super 8 supposed to be JJ's secret masterpiece? I liked it, but it was still nothing special or even that original.

Don't think it was meant to be all that original seeing as it was based on the old 80's flicks and was his tribute to them. In terms what he intended to do, i feel he succeeded on all fronts.

[Altimus]

Re: JJ Abrams - Super 8

Movie wasn't disappointing but it wasn't all that either. I also agree with jmood that the last 15 minutes were over dramatic and corny.

The biggest problem for me was:

Spoiler

The characters. The whole movie was pointless in a way since none of the characters added nothing to the movie at all. The monster would have been there without them and would have left without them also. The two fathers at the end just seemed pointless. They reconcile and arrive and do nothing.

I also had no idea it was that easy to escape from a military base. Punch a guy in a face, blow up a gas truck and drive away. Solid Snake would be proud.

The whole interaction with the monster and the kid was blah.

Also, what was up with the locket? To me it showed it was time to move on but it made it seem like that ship needed that final piece (the locket) to leave.

[Blzer]

Re: JJ Abrams - Super 8

Movie wasn't disappointing but it wasn't all that either. I also agree with jmood that the last 15 minutes were over dramatic and corny.

The biggest problem for me was:

Spoiler

The characters. The whole movie was pointless in a way since none of the characters added nothing to the movie at all. The monster would have been there without them and would have left without them also. The two fathers at the end just seemed pointless. They reconcile and arrive and do nothing.

I also had no idea it was that easy to escape from a military base. Punch a guy in a face, blow up a gas truck and drive away. Solid Snake would be proud.

The whole interaction with the monster and the kid was blah.

Also, what was up with the locket? To me it showed it was time to move on but it made it seem like that ship needed that final piece (the locket) to leave.

Spoiler

It depends on how you view the movie. I think the movie was about the kids, not the monster. I saw the monster as a MacGuffin, nothing more.

The locket was simply about moving on. No, I don't think he had to let go of it, but it happened anyway. It's just movie magic in full effect.

[jmood88]

Re: JJ Abrams - Super 8

Movie wasn't disappointing but it wasn't all that either. I also agree with jmood that the last 15 minutes were over dramatic and corny.

The biggest problem for me was:

Spoiler

The characters. The whole movie was pointless in a way since none of the characters added nothing to the movie at all. The monster would have been there without them and would have left without them also. The two fathers at the end just seemed pointless. They reconcile and arrive and do nothing.

I also had no idea it was that easy to escape from a military base. Punch a guy in a face, blow up a gas truck and drive away. Solid Snake would be proud.

The whole interaction with the monster and the kid was blah.

Also, what was up with the locket? To me it showed it was time to move on but it made it seem like that ship needed that final piece (the locket) to leave.

Spoiler

I don't know if it was posted in here but this was a combination of two different movies. JJ Abrams wanted to make a movie about kids filming a movie and Steven Spielberg had a monster movie he wanted to make. Both of them just had parts of movies but didn't know how to make full movies out of them so they put the two ideas together. That could have something to do with that feeling that the characters don't have as much of an impact.

[crques]

Re: JJ Abrams "Super 8" Movie..Prequel to Cloverfield?

Coach Taylor as the Sheriff? Hell yes. I'm definitely there.

That was my thought exactly!! Unfortunately I haven't been able to see it yet but I might this weekend. It is getting solid reviews and I've seen a ton of comparisons to Goonies, which is one of my all-time favorites, as well as other 80s movies. I must see this movie. LOL

[SlimKibbles]

Re: JJ Abrams "Super 8" Movie..Prequel to Cloverfield?

I saw this today after the Reds-Yankees game this afternoon. I really enjoyed it. It was kind of a throwback to an 80's type of movie like E.T. or The Goonies, like some have mentioned. Looking back, I can see the criticisms that some have thrown out there. I honestly never thought about that any of that stuff while watching the movie though. I was too busy just mindlessly enjoying the flick. I definitely recommend it though. Worth checking out.

[Beantown]

Re: JJ Abrams - Super 8

Movie wasn't disappointing but it wasn't all that either. I also agree with jmood that the last 15 minutes were over dramatic and corny.

Just saw this today, and I have to agree.

It wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't something I'm going to buy or have much desire to see again. If someone, once it comes out on DVD, says "Hey, let's watch Super 8," I won't say no, but I doubt I'll ever suggest it.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: JJ Abrams - Super 8

Just saw this today, and I have to agree.

It wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't something I'm going to buy or have much desire to see again. If someone, once it comes out on DVD, says "Hey, let's watch Super 8," I won't say no, but I doubt I'll ever suggest it.

Really? With the exception of the monster scene at the end, I felt like the movie was great. The whole kids making a movie thing coinciding with a monster 'cover-up' was a nice mix. It never really felt like a "monster" movie, but rather a movie about a group of kids which just so happened to have a monster in it. That's what I thought was cool about it. I probably won't throw down $20 on the blu-ray, but if I see it for 15 or 10 I'm gonna grab it.

[daflyboys]

Re: JJ Abrams - Super 8

I would add this:

ET + Close Encounters + Stand By Me + Goonies = Super 8

+ an element of 50's B Monster flicks.

Movie is set in 1979.

An incredible story and just very engrossing. Highly enjoyed it. Stick for the credits a bit too, great little epilogue (small Easter egg in there too, but not a tangible thing).

Not comparable to Cloverfield as I didn't see this as being even close to a prequel and the story lines were completely different.

If you have intentions of seeing it, go see it. Don't let the detractors here dissuade you. You won't be sorry.

[Beantown]

Re: JJ Abrams - Super 8

Really? With the exception of the monster scene at the end, I felt like the movie was great. The whole kids making a movie thing coinciding with a monster 'cover-up' was a nice mix. It never really felt like a "monster" movie, but rather a movie about a group of kids which just so happened to have a monster in it. That's what I thought was cool about it. I probably won't throw down $20 on the blu-ray, but if I see it for 15 or 10 I'm gonna grab it.

Yeah, I kind of expected to enjoy it more than I did, even though my expectations/hype had died down quite a bit leading up to me seeing it, but there was just something about it I couldn't connect to.

I spent the last 10-15 minutes of the movie thinking: "Is this going to end, yet?" which isn't something that usually happens to me. I did enjoy the movie and I'm not disappointed I watched it - there were some damn good scenes (the train scene was awesome) and I liked the Joe/Alice duo....but I just didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped to.

Not a bad movie by any means, and definitely worth seeing, but like I said...I don't think I'll buy it when it comes out, or rush to watch it a second time.

[mkharsh33]

Re: JJ Abrams - Super 8

Having talked about this movie with various friends, the ending was very rushed. It's a solid movie but everything got crammed at the end. I just watched Close Encounters again...my wife and I were pointing out the similarities on a number of fronts. Good movie, though, and worth the watch.

[Blzer]

Re: JJ Abrams - Super 8

Not comparable to Cloverfield as I didn't see this as being even close to a prequel and the story lines were completely different.

Did you mean "comparable," or "relatable?" I wasn't sure if you were saying that you wanted to actually put one film up against the other and decide which one you liked more, or that you wouldn't include it in that equation with those other films.

If you were referring to the latter, I'd say that there are some things that relate:

Spoiler

the camera, the monster, saving the lead guy's girl, and J.J. Abrams' involvement

But that's just me.