Eye Candy #540 - "Super 8"

Super 8:  Only the 3rd directorial effort from J.J. Abrams (following his successful "Star Trek" revamp), this film hearkens back to old tropes as well, specifically many of Steven Spielberg's - an adventure movie that positively reeks of "ET" and "Goonies" and "Stand by Me", where children understand more than adults, where there is good and evil, and that there are things in life worth the risk.  These are people, like the character Cary from the film who loves to set things on fire and makes his own m-80s, that we grew up with. It's ridiculous to think of this sort of film type as refreshing, but as you watch it, you realize we haven't had a good, much less great film like this in 20 plus years - a film that flies in the face of cynicism.  Newcomer Joel Courtney is Joe Lamb, who lives in a small steel town in Ohio with his sheriff deputy father (Kyle Chandler), both of whom don't know how to handle the grief of their mother/wife's recent death in an industrial accident.  Joe finds solace and purpose helping his friend Charles (another newcomer, Riley Griffiths, who steals about every scene he's in) finish his homemade Super 8 zombie film with their oddball friends, while his father throws himself into drink, bitterness, and his work.  During the course of the children's filming, they witness a train crash (and a magnificent film train crash it is, seriously) and...something...escapes from the train into their town.   Almost immediately Air Force personnel swarm the town for damage control, led by the quietly menacing Col. Nelec (Noah Emmerich).  Mix into this Joe's burgeoning crush for Alice (Elle Fanning), daughter of the man who may be responsible for the death of his mother (played by Ron Eldard).  So you have 2/3rds of a coming-of-age movie about true love and friendship, all while people, pets, and appliances disappear in town, and then 1/3rd of a giant monster movie as the beastie is finally revealed and it's up to the children to save themselves and everyone else.  Well-paced, good action set pieces, with heart and humor, rounded out by superb acting from a cast of unknowns and b/c-list actors.   The kids are great together in the film.  Woodchuck sez, "Check it out."