On June 10, 2011, J.J. Abrams’ first original movie, Super 8, debuted in theaters. The sci-fi thriller follows a group of kids whose small town is turned upside down by a devastating train crash and an escaped creature. It topped the box office that weekend and earned a respectable 81 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Fifteen years later, audiences seem to have largely forgotten it, but it’s definitely worth revisiting.
Super 8 was likely overshadowed by the franchise films that permeated the 2010s, with its release date sandwiched between X-Men: First Class and Green Lantern. The standalone film didn’t make much of a dent in the cultural zeitgeist or give rise to its own franchise. Nevertheless, it’s a solid summer blockbuster and one of the most underrated sci-fi movies of all time.
Super 8 Is a Winning Combination of Sci-Fi Intrigue and Heart
The movie is technically set in the 1970s, but Super 8 is a clear pastiche of popular ’80s flicks, such as E.T. and The Goonies. As a result, the film has been criticized for not being particularly original or innovative, but it nails two things that made its predecessors iconic: its intriguing sci-fi plot and its endearing characters.
While it isn’t hard to guess that there’s some sort of monster on the loose, Super 8 still manages to draw viewers in by creating a sense of mystery surrounding the creature. Audiences catch only terrifying glimpses of it as it begins abducting random citizens, and the other strange disappearances raise even more questions. It makes for quite the buildup when the alien is finally revealed, but there’s an extra surprise in store.
The alien, nicknamed Cooper behind the scenes, serves as Super 8‘s main antagonist, but the movie doesn’t end with the kids defeating the monster. In a welcome twist, they let the creature go home, as it had wanted to do the entire time. This decision is subtly set up as the kids learn more about Cooper’s years in captivity, and it ties in well with the protagonist Joe Lamb’s journey.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Super 8 wouldn’t work nearly as well without its human heroes, especially Joe. The quiet, artistic kid who recently lost her mother and struggles to connect with his emotionally distant father is easy to empathize with. Additionally, Joe’s character arc, which sees him become more confident and learn to move on after such a great loss, makes him the perfect choice to confront the embittered Cooper.
In the grand tradition of “kids on bikes” adventures, Joe is surrounded by a vibrant group of friends, whose natural chemistry shines in every scene. Their silly bickering leads to some hilarious exchanges that contrast nicely with the more sinister alien sequences. With Joe also bonding with their newest member, Alice Dainard, their dynamic adds even more emotional depth, giving this underrated sci-fi movie plenty of heart.
J.J. Abrams’ Throwback Summer Blockbuster Enhances Nostalgia With Modern Technology
Like most movies of the 2010s, Super 8‘s alien and action sequences, like the train crash, were brought to life using CGI. While movie buffs today tend to prefer the tangibility of practical effects, the film’s digital effects have held up well over the last 15 years. Utilizing new technology was the perfect way to bring a modern touch to a nostalgia-driven story.
The devastating train derailment is admittedly over-the-top, but Abrams confirmed in his director’s commentary that this was purposefully done. Since the scene was being told from the kids’ perspective, he wanted it to feel like how a kid would remember such an event: absolutely terrifying. The result is one of the scariest train crashes ever put to screen, even if it isn’t the most realistic.
Cooper, the alien, has also been criticized for his unrealistic design, which features six limbs, odd proportions, and holes through parts of his body. That said, it is a visually striking design that suits Cooper’s evolution in Super 8. His massive size and spider-like movements help him look unsettling and ominous when he’s attacking, but the reveal of his human-like eyes allows him to show his vulnerable side at the end of the movie.
As much as Super 8 pays homage to its 1980s predecessors, these modern enhancements set it apart in a good way. Its use of CGI might be a mark of when it was made, but the fact that it still looks good today when so many other films from the same era aged so poorly is a true testament to its quality.
Super 8 Walked So Stranger Things Could Run
Considering the wave of ’80s-set sci-fi movies and TV shows about a group of kids that arose in the mid and late 2010s, Super 8 certainly feels ahead of its time in hindsight. It might not be as popular or highly-regarded as its successors, such as Stranger Things, IT and Paper Girls, but in some ways, it feels like the J.J. Abrams film set the standard for subsequent kids-on-bikes titles.
Super 8 followed a well-trod path with its homage to the original kids-on-bikes movies of the ’80s, but a good pastiche still requires skill to pull off. From its John Williams-esque score to its rambunctious young friend group, the sci-fi movie recaptured the magic of this genre for a new generation. It even influenced future titles in the same genre, with the Duffer brothers citing it as one of their inspirations for Stranger Things.
Although later films and TV shows improved upon the formula, Super 8 proved that there was still a hunger for these kinds of stories. Kids-on-bikes media grew scarce in the ’90s and 2000s, as parents grew more protective and modern technology reshaped how people, especially children, lived their lives. Despite being set in a bygone era, Super 8 showed that coming-of-age adventure tales maintain a timeless appeal.
The summer of 2011 was positively bursting with major franchise films, from the burgeoning Marvel Cinematic Universe to the Harry Potter series’ grand finale. Super 8 was the odd one out, but the underrated sci-fi movie deserves to be remembered as a great summer blockbuster that paved the way for the kids-on-bikes titles that followed.
- Release Date
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June 10, 2011
- Runtime
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112 minutes
- Director
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J.J. Abrams
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Elle Fanning
Alice Dainard