Super 8 DVD Review

By Kam Williams    

Abram's Spielberg-esque Adventure Arrives on DVD

Even Steven Spielberg would have a hard time making a movie which resembles one of his own movies as much as Super 8 does. This reverential homage was directed by J.J. Abrams, a protégé who unabashedly laced the production with allusions to Close Encounters of Third Kind, E.T., Jaws, Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds, The Goonies and other offerings by his legendary mentor.

Among the myriad motifs revisited are such Spielberg trademarks as an attempted cover-up of a burgeoning mystery, adolescents estranged from their parents, and an anthropomorphic extra terrestrial. Furthermore, many of his favorite technical devices are resurrected as well, like the employment of lens flares, foreboding flashlights and disorienting camera angles.

Luckily, because the edge-of-the-seat thriller also happens to be absolutely absorbing from beginning to end, the viewer doesn't really have the luxury of pausing to debate whether J.J.'s borrowing of ideas amounts to a rip-off or a tribute. Another plus is the convincing chemistry generated among the gifted ensemble of mostly-unknown actors assembled to execute the riveting character-driven script.

The story unfolds during the summer of '79 in Lillian, Ohio, a generic Midwestern metropolis. Protagonist Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) is still mourning the death of his mom who perished in an industrial accident just a few months earlier.

He resists the pressure being exerted by his Deputy Sheriff father (Kyle Chandler) to attend baseball camp in favor of sticking around town to help his pal Charles (Riley Griffiths) finish shooting a zombie flick called "The Case" on Super 8. The rest of the motley movie crew is rounded out by awkward Preston (Zach Mills), equally-geeky Martin (Gabriel Basso), pyromaniac Carey (Ryan Lee) and tomboy Alice (Elle Fanning), a beauty about to blossom right before the boys' very eyes.

The plot thickens when a passing freight train derails while they're filming a love scene on the local station's platform. As the children barely escape the conflagration with their lives, Charles inadvertently manages to capture some critical evidence with his camera.

Meanwhile, the citizenry is left rattled not only by the incident but by the bizarre occurrences which begin to plague their once-idyllic oasis. Soon, the military descends upon the town led by a conniving Air Force Colonel (Noah Emmerich) who eventually issues an evacuation order. That leaves it up to our resourceful youngsters to summon up the courage to save the day, which is a cinch, when you're dealing with classic Spielberg shenanigans. Or should I say Abrams?

J.J.'s Close Encounter with E.T., Gremlins, Jaws and Jurassic Goonies.

It's all in there!

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated PG-13 for profanity, drug use and intense violence.

Running time: 111 Minutes

Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment

2-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Blu-ray, DVD and digital copies of the film, commentary by the director, producer and cinematographer, deleted scenes, 8 behind-the-scenes featurettes, and "Deconstructing the Train Crash" documentaries.

To see a trailer for Super 8, visit:

To order a copy of the Super 8 Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, visit: AMAZON

Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic who writes for 100+ publications. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Online, the African-American Film Critics Association, and the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee. Contact him through NewsBlaze.