Super 8

I’m not a sci-fi fan. I should get that out there before I go any further. Super 8, I figured, would be the exception.

A couple of months before Super 8 was due to be released I watched the teaser trailer, which really showed you nothing at all, yet the fact the film was a J.J. Abrams/Steven Spielberg collaboration was enough to get excited about.

As the release date for Super 8 approached, more trailers were released giving more insight into the film, and Super 8 fever appeared to have taken over the social networks.

The film follows a group of friends in the summer of 1979, who are spending their holidays filming a zombie movie on a Super 8 camera (this is where the name for the film comes from, it has nothing to do with 8 super powers as I have heard many people presume).

During a late night of filming, the friends witness a mysterious train crash which marks the beginning of a number of strange occurrences around their small town.

The group watches as the dogs of the town go missing, followed by a number of civilians, and then finally, one of their own group members.

As the police are shut out of the investigations and the Army roll into town, the friends begin their own investigation to uncover the mystery and save their friend.

While the film may not live up to the expectations of some (who were probably wanting a super sci-fi, epic event), this movie exceeded my expectations – which truly I didn’t think was possible.

It’s a great combination of adventure, romance (yes a small romance brews between two of the kids), sci-fi coupled with a splash of comedy here and there.

The story had me captivated and when the credits rolled I was keen to see it again.

I heard someone describe Super 8 as the ‘E.T’ for the next generation, and while it has quite a different feel, I could definitely see how they got to that description.

Super 8 is now rated in one of my top 5 films, and as soon as it’s released on blu-ray it’ll become part of my collection.