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Super 8
J J Abrams
(2011)
107min
12A Certificate
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Review
Our Score
by
Trevor Johnston
Named after the old film format used by home-movie hobbyists, this 1970s-set adventure follows a bunch of schoolkids who accidentally capture footage of a spectacular train crash while filming their own low-budget zombie flick. Best not to say more than that, even if most viewers will have some idea of what's lurking in the wreckage. The real surprise, though, is that the burgeoning relationship between shy pubescent protagonist Joe (Joel Courtney) and the classmate he desperately fancies (the strikingly talented Elle Fanning) should prove more dramatically compelling than the story's effects-driven sci-fi aspects. In an age of relentlessly spectacular, often emotionally vacant blockbusters, it's a real pleasure to see a big movie thrumming with genuine feeling for characters touchingly poised on the cusp of adulthood. Writer/director JJ Abrams has clearly soaked up the early work of fellow producer Steven Spielberg, and here he reproduces not only the visual style of
Close Encounters
and
ET
but also their affecting humanity. Eventually the digital trickery takes over, delivering the hi-tech mayhem modern audiences expect; yet, for those who grew up on the Spielberg classics, a truly nostalgic treat awaits.
Summary
A boy and his friends sneak out at night to film an amateur zombie movie, only to witness a train derailment. As people start disappearing from their town and the military descends in force, they come to realise a dangerous alien was being transported on the train and is now on the loose. Sci-fi thriller, starring Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning.
Cast & Crew
Jackson Lamb
Kyle Chandler
Alice Dainard
Elle Fanning
Joe Lamb
Joel Courtney
Martin
Gabriel Basso
Nelec
Noah Emmerich
Louis Dainard
Ron Eldard
Charles
Riley Griffiths
Cary
Ryan Lee
Preston
Zach Mills
Director
J J Abrams
see more
Other Information
Language:
English
Colour
Theatrical distributor:
Paramount
Guidance:
Violence, swearing and drug abuse.
Available on:
DVD and Blu-ray
Released on:
5 Aug 2011
Drama
Full Episode Guide
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Was this film based on a book or not?
In honour of World Book Day we take a look at the movies you might not know came from a book - and those you might not know that didn't
Film DVD round-up: Super 8; Rise of the Planet of the Apes; The Inbetweeners Movie
Interview: JJ Abrams
Andrew Collins: Bonding with Peter Pan *
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