Super 8

If you grew up in the 1980's you remember movies like The Goonies or Stand By Me: coming of age stories that have now become cult classics. J.J.Abrams is channeling that same vibe in Super 8, and the result is a film that is part blockbuster, part homage to that decade and the films it created. And most importantly, it is really fun to watch.

The viral marketing advertisements for Super 8 were intentionally uninformative, so I didn't know much beyond the basic premise: a bunch of kids in 1981 are filming an amateur movie (on Super 8 film) when they unwittingly witness and film a massive train crash. I don't want to give away any more of the plot, because things get weird from there, and part of the joy of this movie is wondering along with the characters what is going on. The young actors are very good, and I actually liked the portrayal of teenage relationships, dysfunctional families, and young love.

J.J. Abrams has made a big name for himself with television series like Alias and Lost, and movies like the new Stark Trek. But he brings an even bigger name to the table in Steven Spielberg, the producer. At this point, Spielberg is practically a secular saint of film, and his influence on this movie is unmistakable. Super 8 is replete with references (some more subtle than others) to the classic Spielberg films of this era. That may be a distraction for some people, but for a movie about making a movie, I thought those nods seemed right a home. This is a story that has been told many times before— it's essentially a mash-up of Stand By Me, E.T., and Cloverfield—but it's a great story, told by some of the best people in the business. Super 8 is fun, moving, thrilling, and hilarious. In short, it's a must-see.

∗∗∗∗

TRON: Legacy

When they announced a sequel to the now-classic 1982 movie TRON, I inwardly cringed. Reviving fads from the 80's is a Hollywood pastime nowadays, but really? TRON? That movie really is only remembered for its pioneering computer generated graphics, which are now comically out of date. And did it even have a plot? I can't remember much of one. So I didn't expect much. And then I saw the trailer. This new world of TRON was dark, sleek, and beautiful, and yet somehow managed to keep the same look and feel. And I decided right then that I had to see it, if only for the visuals.

At its heart, this is nothing more than a fancy 3D eye candy movie, so I almost feel foolish admitting that I liked TRON: Legacy as much as I did. But sometimes it's fun to watch pretty things on the screen, and TRON: Legacy is undeniably pretty. I rather liked the updated design of the computer world, and new disc battles and light cycle matches are exciting and suitably three-dimensional. The 3D effects are particularly suited to the computer world environment, and they subtly enhanced the movie throughout. The acting is not Oscar material, but it wasn't meant to be. It certainly helps that Jeff Bridges has become something of an icon in the past 28 years. And thanks to the minimal storyline in the original, the sequel's plot is probably more complex. Perhaps my relatively low expectations enhanced the experience.

The bottom line is that TRON: Legacy is a great movie to see in 3D, and a fitting homage to the previous generation's TRON.
∗∗∗

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

I can't quite imagine who thought this movie was a good idea. Logically, some movie executive must have okayed the project, and presumably someone actually looked at the script. I just don't know what they were thinking when they gave it the green light. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is nominally connected with the extremely successful Final Fantasy role-playing video game franchise. However, despite the video games' reputation for complex characters and intricate plots, we have none of that here.

The movie follows the quest of Dr. Aki Ross, the attractive young female scientist (you know the plot is going to be bad just from that phrase) who is searching for the seven "spirits" that will rid the earth of an alien infestation. The usual compliment of stock characters is along for the ride, including the wise old mentor, the attractive male lead, the arrogant and foolish military leader, and a few wise-cracking sidekicks.

The Spirits Within really only has one thing going for it: special effects. At the time it was released, the movie represented an advancement in realistic computer animated characters. For the most part, the people are fairly realistic. You know they aren't real people, but they look and act enough like real people so that it isn't distracting. As is always the case, the effects don't look as good now as they did when the movie came out, but it's still not too bad. However, a little eye candy was never enough to sell a movie with a plot this bad.
∗1/2

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy now occupies a classic and cult status among science fiction novels. I suppose it was only a matter of time before such a popular series was made into a movie. I read the book years ago, and I liked the whimsical and irreverent humor. It wasn't the sort of thing that translated easily to the silver screen, however. One attempt at bringing the series to life on the BBC during the 1980's is now legendary for its spectacularly bad special effects and acting. This second attempt did a better job, but it still couldn't quite capture the magic of the books. At least the special effects were better, and there were some okay scenes, but for the most part it was fairly ho-hum. I've seen a few bits of the old BBC series, and I was amused to see that several scenes in the movie paid homage to that version. I was also fairly impressed with Mos Def as Ford Prefect; I didn't think he would work in the part, but he was okay. I didn't particularly like the portrayal of Zaphod Beeblebrox, however, They sort of made him a cross between a vapid celebrity and George W. Bush, which ruined the vibe of the original character. I hate it when movie makers sacrifice character and plot for cheap political jabs.

Fans of the books probably won't like this movie a ton because of its departures and differences from the novels. Newcomers to the series might like it, but they also might be confused because a lot of it doesn't make much sense. Maybe that works better in a book than a movie. It wasn't too bad, though, which is more than I can say about most sci-fi book adaptations. Put this one in the Glad-I-Didn't-Pay-To-See-It-In-The-Theater category.
∗∗