In a summer filled to the brim with superheroes and sequels, it's been a long, cryptic lead-up for J.J. Abrams' latest, especially considering its unconventional (and kinda brilliant) viral marketing campaign. After months spent sifting through trailers, speculating like gangbusters and generally wondering just what in the world this movie's even about, 'Super 8' has finally arrived.

Now, without further ado, go right ahead and hit the jump to see what all the fuss is about.


What's It About?
Well, here's the thing: It ain't often that we're treated to a highly anticipated summer blockbuster that doesn't show us the whole damn movie in the trailers. That said, we loved that about this movie long before we actually got to see it in full, so we won't be giving anything away either. We hope you can forgive us -- spoilers just aren't our style.

In a nutshell, 'Super 8' takes place in the late '70s in the town of Lillian, Ohio. At the center of our story is boy named Joe who finds himself coping with tragedy while also helping his friends film a zombie movie around town. One fateful night, they go out to the local train station to film a scene and end up smack dab in the middle of an epic train crash that they somehow manage to walk away from with nothing more than scraped knees. Because the government is always behind these kinds of things, the U.S. Air Force arrives on the scene in record time and starts pushing people around like they run the place. Soon after, weird things start happening all around Lillian -- people disappear, dogs run away -- and these meddling kids take it upon themselves to figure out what the heck is going on before the whole place goes under.

(Oh, and it has nothing to do with Super 8 hotels, if you were wondering.)

Sounds Familiar.
And it should!

As writer/director J.J. Abrams recently told us, even though this isn't intended to be seen as an homage to the early days of Steven Spielberg, the influence is palpable. Since it's not an homage, the best alternative we've got is that it's the bastard love child of 'E.T.' and 'Cloverfield' that's aimed right at the nostalgic nerve centers of everyone who still worships at the shrine of Amblin Entertainment (who also helped produce this movie). For those now scratching their heads, Amblin is the Spielberg-founded production company that released 'E.T.,' 'The Goonies,' 'Back to the Future' and a whole bunch of other outrageously awesome movies in the early '80s that didn't have Indiana Jones in them. With that in mind, you'll be hard-pressed to watch this movie and not start making the connections at every step.

When the kids start talking over each other at whirlwind speed, you'll think of 'The Goonies.' The more you get to know about Joe and the more he matures as a character, you'll be reminded of Elliott from 'E.T.' The more the mysteries that have invaded this town start to unravel, it'll feel like 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind.' And if you've seen 'Star Trek' and 'Cloverfield,' you won't be able to miss that this is as much a distinctly Abrams movie as it is a throwback to those Amblin classics. And while it's usually not a good thing when you can easily spot a movie's influences, this time it works because it doesn't come off as a clone, and, to be honest, we missed this stuff.

It's a beautiful marriage between a (relatively) new director who's clearly a fan and a legendary director who depicted sci-fi, adventure and small-town Americana in ways that few, if any, have really been able to capture since. As familiar as 'Super 8' feels, it's a welcome rush down memory lane that does a bang-up job of channeling that early Spielberg magic -- all while making it feel fresh.

And on top of that, it's pretty freakin' fun.

The train crash here is flat-out insane, the plot moves along at a really slick pace, and it's a blast just watching these kids behaving like, well, kids. It's nice to see a movie where teens actually swear once in a while. It approaches that same level of realism that we haven't really seen since 1986's 'Stand By Me.' Even if you didn't grow up in the time period, these youngsters are super-likable, surprisingly relatable, and hey, they can act.

Joel Courtney is great in his debut role as Joe; Elle Fanning (who's growing up mighty fast) might be the best of the bunch as Joe's crush, Alice; and Riley Griffiths (also in his debut role) is a rip as Joe's best friend, Charles. And since we're still not quite over 'Early Edition' getting canceled, we're very happy to see Kyle Chandler getting some time on the big screen as Joe's dad.

It's a solid cast all around, and there's a good dozen or so others in the mix who add something unique. The only downside is that the cast, ultimately, is just too darn big. If the characters had been narrowed down to Joe, his dad, his best friend and his main squeeze, that would have been mint, allowing for a good deal more individual development. Not that the characters are one-dimensional or anything, and they do help to create a real sense of community in Lillian, but as well-drawn as they may be, there are a handful here who could have been put on the back burner in order to further flesh out the more integral ones.

Other than that, though, there's not a whole lot worth griping about.

And What About the Alien / Monster / Whatever It Is?
It's cool. We loved the "Hunchback" angle that Abrams used on it (and that's not a giveaway on what it looks like). That's all we're saying.

But Is 'Super 8' Worth Seeing?
You bet.

It might not be the best thing we'll see all summer, it does get kinda schmaltzy towards the end, and it probably won't go down as one of the all-time greats like its inspirations, but it's still a total trip that any fan of Abrams and Spielberg will eat right up. Just some highly entertaining stuff with a solid enough story that delivers on most everything it sets out to do -- and bonus points for a fantastic score by Michael Giacchino ('Lost') that perfectly complements the tone from beginning to end. Sorry we couldn't be more specific on the details and such, but trust us, the blinder you are going into this, the happier you'll be in the long run.

VERDICT:
8/10 Neo-Nostalgias
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