Movie Review: Super 8

Every generation or so, we tend to have a film maker (writer, director, producer) that stands out and speaks directly to that generation. Now imagine a director of the modern generation working with a producer who directed some of the best movies of the previous generation, and you can get what is probably the best mixture of both retro films and modern films. That movie, for me, is Super 8.

The title comes from the type of camera and film that is used in the plot, but that is not the main focus. The reason I picked to talk about Super 8 is not because it is the combined effort of J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg, but because it is my favorite Science Fiction Thriller movie and a movie that is in my top 3 favorite films of all time.

Pros- The film tells of one major plot, with many others that are a part of it as well. This style of story telling gives depth and backstory to these characters that you wouldn't get in a straightforward story. Just like in real life, more than one thing tends to be going on with someone's life. That is part of how great this film is in terms of storytelling. It feels like a realistic story, even if it is technically Scifi.
This film also has some of the best actors I have ever seen. Even the children do a fantastic job capturing moments that even some adult actors struggle with. The film does less dialogue and more facial expressions and actions that help pace and tell the story. Just look at facial expressions and personal interactions. It is astounding. Even when they do talk and interact, it feels realistic. The language style fits what the characters are feeling, and it fits the time period the film takes place in, 1980.
I'm not going to spoil the ending, but it fits the movie perfectly and brings things together in a realistic ending. Not everything becomes perfect for the characters, but it is a realistic ending because of that.
The actual Alien in the movie is only shown completely in the last scene of the movie, leaving a mystery as to what it looks like and keeps the tension high. If we were shown everything at once, the mystery wouldn't be there and we would know what to be scared of. By not showing the entire monster, it lets our imagination run around a bit and we get to feel what the characters feel and actually get scared.

Cons- I have to mention this as a con, because I don't want to get in trouble. This movie can be scary and people who jump easy will have a hard time watching it.

Final Thoughts: This movie captures everything I love about films today. It is a great balance of emotion and has the best of retro films and modern films. I can't recommend it enough. See this movie. If I had the ability to mentally project a movie into people's brains, it would be this one.

Now that we have seen both Supernatural Monsters and Extraterrestrial Monsters, now we need to look at a Real Monster... 'Til Next Time!!

Movie Review: Van Helsing

It is the month of October! Bring on the Spooky and Scary. Time to let people freak out at what goes bump in the night. Since I have made a point that I don't review R rated movies, I decided to focus solely on Monster movies this month instead of Horror movies. What better way to start than with my biggest Halloween guilty pleasure, 2004's Van Helsing.

This movie was made to be kind of a tribute to the classic monster movies of the 30s and 40s. In fact, if you manage to get your hands on the Special Edition DVD, it came with the original Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Wolfman, all three being fantastic movies. This movie however, didn't fair that well with critics and nowadays has more of a cult following. Could it be that it wasn't based on any classic monster movie? Let's find out.

The Pros- The overall set design can be very appealing in terms of eye candy. Costumes and scenes are very well made and have an overall great design to them. It creates this world of people living in fear and someone who is living to fight against fear. Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale play the two main characters, Van Helsing and Anna Valerious, and they are just a joy to watch during this movie for the most part. The design for the Frankenstein Monster is also very good. You can watch it just for the overall design and tone of the film, since the music is also enjoyable. I actually went through the entire credits watching it again just to have the music play in the background. The ending isn't perfect, but it is complete. You watch it and come out of it feeling fulfilled, like you say all that was intended and none of the sequel baiting we see in cinema today (looking at you, Marvel).

The Cons- There really isn't a lot of story behind this movie. It feels like Director Stephen Sommers went away from the original Monster books and went to the Castlevania games instead for motivation. The story is more fitting for a video game than a movie. Too bad the game that tied into the movie wasn't a good game. I know a graphic novel and an anime movie exist to help explain things in the story, but I haven't seen that movie or read the novel, so I can't say if they are helpful or not. There is some over the top acting in this movie, especially with the Vampire Brides. Where Richard Roxburgh's over acting can sometimes fit the Dracula character, the Vampire Brides are borderline comical and they should be threatening. Though the CGI was impressive for 2004, it hasn't aged well. The CGI scenes look like a game you should be playing on the PS3 or Xbox 360. It is kind of distracting for a movie like this, especially in the final battle which is mostly CGI.

Final Verdict- I admit it isn't a well put together movie, but I still enjoy it. I compare it to eating Trail Mix, or a bowl of Lucky Charms. You don't like everything in it, but when you find that thing you like, it is all you can think about. I know it isn't everyone's Halloween Guilty Pleasure (I'm not reviewing that movie), but I do enjoy it during this time of year.

Next Time: I am going away from Supernatural Monsters and bringing in something Extraterrestrial. Til Next Time.