Super 8 (2011) – Review

Review: Super 8 is a throwback to the great sci-fi and adventure films of the late 70s and 80s, but with a bit more action. More specifically, it feels very nostalgic (especially for viewers that grew up with films like The Goonies, Stand by Me and E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, three films that seemed to have influenced this one greatly) both visually and tonally. Writer-director J.J. Abrams certainly drew inspiration from the films of Steven Spielberg (who also served as the film’s producer), Richard Donner, Rob Reiner, and other filmmakers working during the late 70s and 80s. The film takes place in the late 70s, featuring some great music cues and references (as well as nice horror genre references, and homage, especially to the work of George Romero). Abrams also exhibits his own passion for filmmaking, which comes out in the scenes featuring the group of friends making their zombie movie (which is awesomely shown during the ending credits), and has stated that many of those scenes are based on his own experiences making films as a kid (and these scenes appealed to me on a nostalgic level as well, having made films with my friends growing up and in film school). His love of the genre, its great films and filmmaking in general give this film charm and his characters sort of an innocence (sort of like looking back to a better time – Abrams’s Golden Age, if you will – taking an idea from Woody Allen’s own summer film Midnight in Paris). The fact that the principal characters are a group of middle school kids in a small Ohio town also contributes to the sense of innocence to the characters. They come off as good-hearted, and the begins of a romance between Joe and Alice is very sweet and harkens back to our own first loves or crushes, which immediately makes these two relatable for the audience. The comradeship, jokes, and dialog between them are really what make the film work so well. Abrams is brilliant at developing good characters, which he again illustrates with these giving each their moments and drama so that the viewer feels connected and understands them (which is so important), while at the same time keeping the story and action moving forward at a rapid pace – the narrative structure is very tight, the viewer engaged throughout. Abrams puts his characters before anything else, which is rare for a big summer movie (many of which focus on the special effects and the action and then seemingly add characters as an afterthought). (As much as I loved the film) viewers that are not fans of this genre (and the pre-mentioned films from the 70s and 80s) will probably find the film too interested in the friendship of the characters and the film they are trying to make (as the action and sci-fi aspects are really the backdrop until the two story elements collide), but I think that is what makes it great. Abrams loves his characters. But do not worry, the action is also good. There are many thrilling and well shot sequences (especially the train crash). But again, without the great character work done, these action scenes would not have the same impact as they do, because the viewers would not care about the characters to the extent that they do. The film definitely puts a lot of effort into paying homage and having a nostalgic aspect to it (maybe too much for some), but it works well in setting the tone (though, I wonder how it plays for younger viewers who may not be familiar with the films it is referencing, as to some extent it seems to have been made for those like Abrams who grew up with and love these films, and filmmaking). All in all, Super 8 is a wonderful addition to its genre and will hopefully influence and be adored by a new group of fans (and filmmakers), as the films that inspired it were to their fans.

Technical & acting achievements: J.J. Abrams is very accomplished in the realm of television, but this is his first original feature film (his first two being Mission: Impossible III and Star Trek). He also oversaw most of the marketing, keeping the story elements (especially surrounding what escapes from the train) a secret (something that I wish more films would do, nothing worse than having the trailers spoil the film, and nice to see Paramount Pictures trust their filmmaker). With Super 8, Abrams has again shown that he is a top director when it comes to making films that are suspenseful and high on action but also have great characters and drama. I think it is safe to say that he is an auteur filmmaker. Working on his ninth project with Abrams, composer Michael Giacchino does great work (as usual). His score captures both the excitement of the action and the wonder of the young group of friends. Cinematographer Larry Fong and relative newcomer production designer Martin Whist (this being his biggest film to date) both have also worked on Abrams’s projects in the past. Fong’s work is very good. He has a lot of experience shooting action (working with Zack Snyder in the past, including this year’s Sucker Punch), which he again does a great job with, but it is the overall look of the film that works so well (being both homagy and nostalgic, and having a quicker more modern style to it). This also has a lot to do with Whist’s great sets and design work as well. While the 70s certainly shine through, his work as has sort of a timeless and wholesome quality to it, which fits the film extremely well. As stated above, the younger members of the cast really make the film special. Supporting work from Kyle Chandler and Noah Emmerich is good, but overshadowed by the funny and addictive friendship shown by Zach Mills, Ryan Lee, Gabriel Basso, and especially Riley Griffiths. Elle Fanning does not start as part of the group, but she quickly finds a place. She is remarkable in the film, winning the hearts of the characters and the audience. Joel Courtney makes is film debut and is excellent. He is able to carry the film, do the dramatic work and be funny. He has a bright future ahead of him.

Summary & score: Sure there is a big nostalgic aspect to the film, but really this is just an outstanding sci-fi adventure with marvelous characters that pulls you in and great action to keep you on the edge of your seat as the mystery unravels. 9/10

Sucker Punch (2011) – Review

Sucker Punch is full of action, highly stylized and yet completely boring and un-engaging. From the media on the film, the audience goes in expecting a film with attractive women battling all manner of monsters, and that does happen, but the film is not about that at all. Director Zack Snyder made the film as a commentary on the fanboy cultural treatment of women – they are projected as the repulsive cook, grotesque orderly and other characters (manifesting sort of a voyeur role). The women (aside from Dr. Gorski) in the film play out huge action fantasies dressed in sexy outfits that really have no meaning other than the mere spectacle of it all. In the three layers of the film, they are either inhabitants of a mental asylum, prisoners of a brothel or members of an elite fighting unit. On the first level they are seemingly abused and either driven mad or unjustly imprisoned in the asylum. On the second level they are in constant fear from their pimp, and on display for disgusting men. And on the third level they are empowered sexy women fighting evil. So what does this say about how fanboys objectify women? Well Snyder takes it to its extreme in the third level, which was then used as the selling point for the film by Warner Brothers, thus making his argument for him in a sense. But the shooting style that he uses does not really objectify them; therefore it feels more like a comment on the issue. The first level is full of monstrous male characters (save for the Wise Man and to some extent the Doctor), and the second level takes these repulsive men and gives them complete power over the women while assuming a voyeuristic role, specifically watching the mesmerizing dance of Baby Doll, which is never put on screen as it is represented by the fantasy third level – tapping straight into the ultimate fanboy wants (or so Snyder assumes). Thus in this film, fanboys are the disgusting male characters, and it is a scathing (and somewhat true) assessment (which is probably why many fanboys did not like the film). But what makes the film interesting intellectually as well is that Snyder promotes a feeling of feminism and female empowerment as well, as the core narrative is about these girls rising up, fighting back and getting free of the oppressive males. And this is all well and good, and again makes for an interesting piece of cinema to think about, but the problem is that the film is not entertaining at all, which completely crushes the aspirations of the film. All the action scenes have no real tension, they are just noisy. The lack of tension arises from the utter lack of character development in the film, aside from Baby Doll’s prologue and a few tidbits about Rocket and Sweet Pea. Thus, if the audience does not care about the characters (and we do not) then they do not care about the outcome of the action scenes or dramatic scenes and thus true tension and anticipation are not present making them, no matter how spectacular, bland. Plus the monsters in the fantasies had no soul, making it feel a bit dull. The bordello scenes are therefore the most engaging of the film, and have most of the character driven work, but even they are too exposition filled and lack enough character development to carry the film. This is only exacerbated by Snyder’s cinematic style. Style is a very good thing to have. It is what sets great directors apart, and Snyder has the potential to be great. But much like with Watchmen (only to a much higher degree), style has overrun content and narrative. The film plays a bit like a series of music videos (the music coming from mostly poor covers of good songs). It is really too bad. Snyder has made a very personal and ambitious film that rightly attacks the fanboy cultural objectification of women, but the narrative is weak leaving Sucker Punch as a sub two hour compilation of unentertaining spectacle.

Technical and acting achievements: Zack Snyder is still a very exciting director with a lot of talent despite missing the mark with this film (though, Warner Brothers did not believe in him after the film was torn apart by testing audiences, and thusly the film was toned down and the original ending removed – some of it will be in the director’s cut, but not 100% of what Snyder wanted to do). I am still interested to see what he does with Superman. Tyler Bates and Marius De Vries did an ok job with the score, but some of the covers (whether they had anything to do with them or not) were pretty terrible, which hurt the music of the film overall. Larry Fong’s cinematography worked really well given Snyder’s style and constant use of slow motion (really there was just too much of it) and Rick Carter’s production design was cool. I liked his castle set (though probably 99% CG). Their work along with Snyder’s provides the film with some stunning visuals. The cast had a fairly awful script to work with (dialog wise) and shallow characters so no one really provided a great performance. Jon Hamm was actually quite good, however, in his cameo. Jena Malone and Abbie Cornish were the most engaging of the main characters.

Sucker Punch should have been good or at least entertaining, it had a lot of the right ingredients – but it is not at all. 4/10