Super 8

This film was really well acted by the child actors I felt - 5 stars for that. I hope some of them go on to bigger and better things, they have a great start.

Overall though I felt like the film was a bit laboured and the plot wasn't as compelling as it could have been.

Id say this is somewhere between a 3 and 4 star, so worth seeing, but I wouldn't necessarily put it down as a 'must see' film.

Good though - just not amazing.

Had to hunt down Super 8 at the cinema as it seemed many have stopped showing it. In the end we watched it on an IMAX screen.

The film was good, a cast of super child actors reminiscent of the ensemble in Stand By Me who were both likeable (i.e. not sugary sweet kids) and believable. As is now becoming custom for J.J. Abrams the beginning of the film concentrates on what could be a story all on it's own, a group of friends trying to film a zombie movie for a competition in the aftermath of a life changing event for one of the kids. Then, as in Cloverfield, it all changes with a mammoth train crash.

It's a really enjoyable film and if you cannot find it in the cinema now make sure you watch it when it comes out on Blu-Ray. It has plenty of touches that tell you that Spielberg definitely was hands on as producer and the trademark Abrams lens flare effect is back in full effect. It may not feel like a classic now but I'll be interested to see how today's kids feel about the film when they get older.

Super 8 tells the story of a group of high school kids in Ohio who uncover something sinister in their town in Ohio after witnessing a train crash. While the kids spend the summer making an amateur zombie film, a series of weird & unexplained occurrences unfold in their once-sleepy town, suggesting all is not as it seems.

It's very difficult to say much more than that without giving too many spoilers. Suffice to say, this is very much an homage to the Spielberg films of the 80s - think ET or Jaws. There are lots scenes of goofy, floppy-haired American teenagers riding round on BMXs, with an overly sentimental storyline. This really isn't surprising given that Spielberg is the producer.

The director, JJ Abrams, certainly stamps his influence on the film. In fact, the best way of describing this film is The Goonies meets ET meets Cloverfield (an Abram's film too!).

The special effects are excellent - especially the train crash early on in the film, and there were plenty of times that the film had me jumping out of my seat.

My only criticism would be that although this is a great homage to Spielberg's fantastic films of the 80s, it never quite reaches those same heights. It's hard to explain, but I didn't feel for Joe Lamb in the same way I did for Elliott out of ET. Still worth going to see though, and I'll definitely watch again when it's out on DVD.