Super 8 (2011) ****

Super 8Super 8, a Sci-Fi film written and directed by J. J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg, has Spielberg’s signature all over it. Though I personally like and respect Spielberg’s body of work, it does Abrams and the film some injustice. The first two thirds of the film are just delightful but the film then quickly degrades with a rather poor and unsatisfying ending. The story has many familiar elements from other sci-fi movies of the past, yet it remains fresh much due to the sub-plots. These consist of a Romeo and Juliet sort of love story as well as the story of a young aspiring filmmaker. Acting is wonderful and the directing is mostly superb. All in all, Super 8 is worth seeing, though it made me ache for an ending closer to the fourth kind...
p.s. stay after the initial end titles for a little fun surprise!