June 15, 2011 by Vinnie Leduc
The similarities to Abrams’ co-created hit show Lost don’t stop there though. The emotional human stories hit as hard as Super 8‘s spectacular train crash, and they’re complemented by another one of Oscar/Emmy/Grammy-winner Michael Giacchino’s beautiful scores. In both cases, the focus on the journey comes at the cost of a potentially disappointing letdown at the end. Personally, I was OK with Lost‘s polarizing finale, but I wasn’t as satisfied with Super 8‘s.
You can come up with your own verdict for Super 8, which has plenty of edge-of-your-seat thrills and down-to-earth chuckles throughout. You would think that Abrams’ first original film project, rooted in sci-fi mystery, would have had more viral marketing like Cloverfield did, and perhaps the biggest clue you’ll find is the trailer’s music.
But even that doesn’t give much away because Super 8 is all about the summer ride you will have committed to for a couple of hours. Just make sure you stick around during the credits for the manifestation of the in-film microcosm. Super 8 gets 3 out of 5 stars or B- or Good.
