Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Super 8
2011
****
Director: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee, Ron Eldard, Gabriel Basso, Noah Emmerich, David Gallagher

This old fashioned science fiction adventure is a throwback to the days of E.T., Gremlins, The Goonies and Back to the Future, and like the movies above, it was produced by Steven Spielberg. It's another story of a small town teenager, who finds himself in the middle of extraordinary circumstances. In the summer of 1979, Joe and his friends are shooting a zombie film with a Super 8 camera when they witness a horrendous train crash, which reveals a well-kept government secret. This secret is not difficult to guess and it mostly acts as a plot device that provides the thrills. Nevertheless, the film is good fun. There are some exciting set pieces and for a modern blockbuster, it's refreshingly light on CGI.