Overtly nostalgic movie about a bunch of kids stumbling on a secret weapon blunder while making a zombie flick. Yes, it is an obvious hommage to Spielberg, that much have been said.

The kids are remarkable, everyone of them. In fact, as soon as the movie moves away from them, it suffers, althought Kyle Chandler, reliable, does a good job with non-verbal acting. The one kid I liked most was the "directing" one, reacting with slight disgust at the thought that his own sister (she must have been ugly when younger) could actually be attractive to others, but all of them had their quirps that made them likeable in their own ways.

When compared with contemporary Stephen King's "It" adaptation, which is similar in many ways, it is less lurid and graphic, and adults are less of a threat, but the nostalgia factor is doubled. I especially liked the middle-class settings and realities, the small Ohio town. My favorite moment was when they actually showed the full movie the kids made ("The Case") during the end credits, which makes it the most agreable end credits I ever witnessed.

Alas, not all was perfect and the main CGI creature is somewhat of a wet petard, and some characters were less than convincing, like the stoner guy. It is however a movie with a heart. Or maybe it's me who's getting too old.

Teenagers in 1979 Ohio, filming a Super 8-mm movie for entry in a competition, witness a derailment at the train station; assuming the kids have the incident on film, a hard-nosed colonel with the U.S. Air Force is soon on their trail, but he knows more than they do. Boys' adventure story-cum-monster movie from writer-director J.J. Abrams, who is slavishly faithful to producer Steven Spielberg's homey touch throughout. The scenario never jells and, although the production is elaborate, the narrative is scattered to the winds. The kids, leftover Goonies, have obviously been cast for their physical differences (one short, one tall, one with braces, etc.), but their personalities are one-dimensional on film; they're generic (much like the picture itself) and fail to generate interest—but I wouldn't blame the young actors, it's just not there in the writing. ** from ****

I'm not sure why Super 8 could not have been set during the present rather than in 1979 which is so identified because at the beginning there is mention of the famous 3 Mile Island nuclear disaster over the radio of the protagonist family. I do believe it may be set there because this is the era that producer Steven Spielberg knew first hand as a young man and the one he personally identifies with.

The movie is a combination of both E.T. and Stand By Me. But instead of cute and lovable E.T. just trying to get home, instead we've got a really nasty alien monster with an attitude wanting same. However this alien has a real good reason for his bad attitude. He was captured by our government and tortured by an elite unit.

Some kids who are trying to make a film for some contest happen to capture a train wreck on camera where our monster has escaped. Right after that, strange events start happening in the town and the army comes in. The military is not real forthcoming with answers about what's happening. A little bit of national security and a whole lot of guilt.

But the kids led by Joel Courtney Miller and Elle Fanning do start figuring this whole thing out until the alien captures Fanning along with other assorted townfolk who've gone missing. Then young Miller gets a boys adventure of a lifetime when he goes to rescue Fanning and has to make contact with the alien to do so. That's when Super 8 becomes vintage Spielberg.

One other performance I should single out is that of Glynn Turman who is the doctor who was involved with the alien and took his point of view and is against what our government was doing. Turman reminded me a bit of Danny Glover, but he gave a restrained and intelligent performance in a difficult role. He has to and does convince the audience that their sympathy must lay with the being from outer space.

Super 8 should be seen in an Imax theater as I did. The special effects are great. But the kids are a really winning bunch of real and not movie star kids. They and Glynn Turman make Super 8 one of the better films of this year so far.