I sadly missed Super 8 when it came out in theaters. Amongst all of the other films coming out this Summer, I couldn't squeeze it in, though I really wanted to. I remember reading some of the mixed reviews that said the film felt confused about exactly what it was trying to be and how it felt like a compilation of several elements...And that's true.

However, I think that worked out in the film's favor and could have been purposeful. With all of the various elements going on (love story, father/son bonding and forgiving, child adventure, creature feature, mystery, etc), it gave the film a sense of realism that it otherwise may not have had.

Let's face it, in real life things are seldom like the movies where things flow in a linear fashion. Real life is chaotic and teeming with all sorts of things going on at the same time. That's how this movie portrayed this story and it really gave the film an extra depth to it. It made me connect with the characters a little deeper, and overall I felt like I was watching a slice of life instead of a scripted film.

It was a beautiful story and while I wanted more monster movie type action, I was impressed with how well done the film was overall. I enjoyed the mystery, I enjoyed figuring everything out right along with the characters, and I really loved watching the finished short film "The Case" at the end of the credits.

The actors did a wonderful job, and presented some of the best child acting I'd ever seen in a movie. It was a well done homage to earlier films, yet had enough to stand on its own as well. If you haven't seen it, it's definitely worth adding to your collection.

Maybe it was the giant Amblin Entertainment at the beginning that took me back, but I knew this was going to be an homage to E.T. and other classic science fiction movies of the 80's before it even started, and it definitely lived up to the hype. Bad Robot's logo followed and it definitely let you know what was coming: the old guard (Spielberg) and the new guard (Abrams) creating something very special.

Taking place in 1979, a group of young kids in Ohio witness a huge train wreck while making their own Super 8 horror movie and soon discover it was no accident. Soon, weird events start to occur and people end up missing. The local Deputy tries to unearth what's really going on, and is met head on and told to cease his efforts. Unbeknownst to them, there is something that has happend which is more horrifying than anyone could ever picture.

Super 8 does well to pay homage to its roots, but not outright be a facsimile of them. It is a bit more Abrams than Spielberg...sure it takes place in the late 70's and has a lot of nostalgic tones, but it's Abrams all the way, down to the lens flares and Cloverfield-like monster that we discover. What makes this movie work is that it bridges the gap between the two eras so well.

As a big fan of sci-fi and growing up with E.T., I found this movie to be ambitious and very very entertaining. I highly recommend it for both young and old!

This is an extremely well made movie for such a low budget. It isn't perfect, and may not be a world-changer, but it's certainly a world-pleaser.
There really isn't much to it either, and it's very much like a modern version of 'The Goonies' except it's aliens rather than pirates this time.
The young actors have talent and clealy worked well together, which helped with the slight development of characters throughout the movie.
The large train wreck scene at the beginning was most definitely the highlight, and was probably what most of the budget money was spent on. They needed to save some of that cash for the much anticipated Alien showed up as you waited the whole movie to see it and it really wasn't as cool as you would have hoped.
Overall a fantastic summer movie, definitely one that the young ones will enjoy, but also a good family sci-fi(ish) family movie.. if you're into that sort of stuff.

I was really looking forward to this film. Left the theatre disappointed. The kids just yelled alot and were whiny. I didn't care if they finished their movie or not. Didn't care for the alien / monster. I wasn't rooting for the monster to get back home (unlike ET). I did like the lead, Joel Courtney. He was good. The train wreck was the highlight. Ultimately, the film didn't move me. I wasn't choked up at the end.