What do you get if E.T marries a Decepticon?   
Or if J. J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg work together on a sci-fy thriller? 


You get a pretty creepy, misunderstood monster who is just trying to get home. (That's the ET part.) 
You also get exploding trains, hurling cars, magnetized metal, sinister military characters, and an alien with attitude. (That's the J..J. Abrams part.) And don't forget both film makers love to star a kid as the protagonist. 


I knew I was all-in when I caught myself holding my own hand.  I've figured out long ago that when a camera shot has a super big close up on any character, you know that something bad is going to happen and scare you. It's formulaic but it works on me every time.  


The story line: Some Jr. high boys are making a film for a student film festival in Ohio. They sneak out one night with a Super 8 camera, a tripod, and some fake blood to continue making their zombie movie. They witness a train crash and catch something mysterious on their camera. After the crash, the whole town experiences the disappearances of dogs, people and household appliances. And of course the military takes over the town. The kids are sworn to silence, until the cute girl (who agreed to be in their movie) disappears. The protagonist sets off to rescue her.


I am not a regular fan of sci-fy, zombie, or slasher movies. Ya see, it's my imagination... It kind of carries me away.  I blame it all on my mother who lovingly ingrained in my little, toddler soul that that the "goblins were gonna get me if I didn't watch out." She also took all of us kids to the Drive-In to see Night of the living Dead. (when I was in single digits) 


As I chewed up my entire box of Good N' Plenty; a way to take off the edge of scary, I ended up enjoying the film. There were undercurrent themes of bravery, Jr High love, forgiveness, and the whole fighting off a misunderstood alien.


GOOD STUFF--It was big screen -crazy- good special effects movie with some natural dialogue between the kids. There was some forgiveness and reconciliation  between two families over a tragedy. I also really like Kyle Chandler. (Early Edition & Friday Night Lights) 


NOT SO GOOD STUFF-- Bad sideburns and the story was pretty predictable. Unfortunately there was also your unnecessary, dirty junior high language between the boys. And one "F" bomb. I can't remembered who dropped that one. I dropped some of my Good N' Plenty on the theater floor. That was unfortunate.

I give SUPER 8-- 3 boxes of Good N' Plenty out of 5

Entertaining but not memorable.  It was worth the matinee price and definitely a big screen movie. Loved the FX and the relationship the boys had with each other. It reminded me of Stand By Me.  But had a hard time really getting attached to more than one character. (And it was not the alien or Cutie Kyle Chandler.) I think I'm looking more forward to the Transformer's Dark of the Moon and Cowboys and Aliens coming out later this summer.


The most frightening thing in the whole movie for me... was that it took place in 1979. The clothes, the cars, the music.... a horrible flashback. I was college age. Where was any sense of fashion back then?  I joined my sister and her hub as we exited the theater singing the closing song, "My Sharona" That was fun!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1T71PGd-J0