'Super 8' is a blockbuster, directed and written by J.J Abrams and produced by Steven Speilberg. The film is a tribute to Steven Speilberg's classics such as E.T, Jaws, Jurrasic Park, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the remake of 'War of the Worlds'. This film tick all the boxes for me. Horror, Suspense, Mystery, a fantastic storyline, the typical Spielberg spectacle we expect in all of his movies and a hint of comedy. This mixture of film conventions suggests a trybrid of genres; horror, sci-fi and comedy.
The film is set in the summer of 1979 in the town of Ohio, USA. The protagonist of the film is a 14 year old boy, Joe, who we first meet on sad terms; whilst he is grieving the death of his mother who died in a factory accident. Abrams has done this intentionally so that we feel sense of pity and therefore the audience begin to empathize with him which is what the director wants. To take his mind of this tragedy, Joe begins to help his best friend, Charles who is directing his own film for a festival using his Super 8 camera- hence the name of the movie.
This film does not follow typical Hollywood ideology because it does not follow the 3 stages of narrative suggested by Todorov. This movie starts in disequilibrium and disorder but then finishes in equilibrium and order. This disequilibrium is the death of the protagonist's mother. Why would Abrams do this? I think it is because he is attempting to identify his own 'aeteur' as a director and break the norm.
All in all Super 8 is a fantastic film and would recommend it to everyone from all ages and genders because not only does it take us back to the past, but it also suggests the future hinting the possibility that one day, we can have Hollywood style cameras and film our own high quality movies. This offers escapism, visual pleasure, engima codes and different style of Hollywood movies.
AA Rating? 9/10
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