The kids and I went to our local drive-in to see Super 8 over the weekend. Knowing it was about an alien and a train wreck, the tracks that run beside the drive-in's property line added to the ambiance.
I'll admit I went in with gigantic expectations for this one after reading some of the reviews. We're talking Steven Spielberg, after all, and a movie set in an era I grew up in (Side note: the soundtrack was money).
To say I was disappointed is too harsh because the storyline about the kids making a movie to enter into a local film festival I found very entertaining. There were a couple of terrific performances by young actors I'd never seen before (Elle Fanning and Joel Courtney) and the special effects were also phenomenal.
But unlike Stand By Me, one of my all-time favorites about a group of kids the same age as those in Super 8, I didn't care what happened to anyone by the end of the movie, including the alien. I couldn't have told you one character's name after the credits rolled (Another side note: make sure to stay for the credits because the kids' movie they were filming throughout is played in its entirety).
It's as if the editors axed all the character development scenes and left them on the cutting room floor.
This was Raiders Of The Lost Ark meets E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial meets Transformers and I didn't really connect with any of it.
Now, if you asked my kids for a review, they would say they loved it. There was no “down time” and it kept their attention throughout. But with the price of movies, I wish I would have waited for the DVD.
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8 comments:
I've heard mostly positive things about it but I still didn't feel like watching it in the theater.
Ooh, harsh! Of course I had fairly low expectations of the movie (don't like Spielberg particularly and didn't see any of the previews) and so I was pleasantly surprised. I might have waited for the DVD though but it was nice for a night out though as I rarely get out and the summer movies look blah.
Lovely honest review!! I think I'll wait for the rental dvd of this too. But I'm glad your kids enjoyed it! Thanks for the review! I absoutely loved Stand By Me and my friend and I saw this film a zillion times, we loved it so much and thoroughly fell in love with River Phoenix.
Oh happy days! Take care
x
Thanks for the review, Lisa. We'll wait for it to come out on Netflix.
Bummer! I'm waiting for it to come on out on Netflix as well.
Oh bless! What a disappointment for you. I went to a drive in movie when I was 11 yrs called The legend of Boggy Creek. I was scared at that age until I saw it on TV as an adult and was seriously underwhelmed.
Naively when Hubby and I went to Canada on holiday I announced to our B&B hosts that I was going to take Hubby to a matinee at the drive in. Poor souls cried laughing! :O)
This is on my list, but I think it's one I'll wait to see at home. I've heard mixed reviews and I'd rather spend the money on a movie I know I'll enjoy more. Thanks for your candid review!
OK, will wait for Netflix then.
Wow, you still have a drive-in? I miss those.
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