A surprising, exciting film. (Review of "Super 8")

When Steven Spielberg first entered the filmmaking scene, he was celebrated for the wit, charm, and wonder that he brought onscreen, as evident in such films as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and E.T. And, even though he has produced intelligent and relevant work since then, a spark of creativity has clearly been lost.

However, with his latest directorial effort, Super 8, J.J. Abrams has managed to pick up where Spielberg left off.

From top to bottom, the film is inherently Spielbergian. Abrams even emulated the framing and cinematography of those aforementioned classic works, largely abandoning his typical gritty, handheld approach. The film is no simple homage, though. It places its adolescent protagonists in greater peril than Speilberg's films dare to, and lacks the family-friendly appeal of Spielberg's work.

Interestingly enough, one of the more surprising aspects of this film is its humor, most prevalent in the sequences involving the protagonist, Joe Lamb, and his friends. The fact that the film is willing to not take itself too seriously is a refreshing contrast to the dour blockbusters we have become accustomed to seeing over the past few years.

Focusing your film on children is often a challenge, as child actors seem to rarely have enough charisma and screen presence to fully engage an audience. Thankfully, Abrams was able to select a fine group of young actors who are more than capable of completing that task. Elle Fanning, in particular, stands out as a tremendous talent, and will undoubtedly have a long, prosperous career.

What could have been a superficial series of references to a somewhat dormant style of storytelling is, instead, a wonderful, funny, terrifying memorable film, thanks to Abrams' smart writing and direction.