Starring Elle Fanning and Joel Courtney
There is a sort of hush around this movie in respects to what exactly the big nasty turns out to be and so consider this part a major spoiler alert!!! It's an alien.
Now onto why that doesn't matter in the slightest. This movie is a phenomenal slice of life without the alien distraction and all the bells and whistles of a summer blockbuster.
Remember E.T? Well this film takes place in the early 80s and has the same ambiance and strong set of family values but more than that, it actually transports you back in time to your child hood at least it did for me anyways.
From the opening song by E.L.O to the kids with long hair and the big ol cars in the streets everything was pitch perfect in recreating my early years.
Much like Stand By Me this one features a group of ragtag friends including the spaz and the heavy kid to the nerd and of course the girl next door that your family doesn't want you talking with because her Dad is an alcoholic. I could have watched this movie just for the cast and their mission of making a Zombie movie on their Super 8 camera and been just as entertained without the alien subplot.
That being said, this movie boasts the best train crash sequence in movie history and that too was worth the price of admission. I was actually nervous watching it. It was deafening and amazing to watch. Stuff like that works when it works ya know what I mean?
Then we come to the Alien plot and I wont divulge too much but it was handled well I guess but like I said before it was pretty much just the icing on the cake.
So despite this being a Sci-Fi flick, I am recommending it wholly as a an ensemble throw back piece. This could have been the best movie of the year but there is just a bit too much going on.
Rating 4 train cars out of 5
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Finally saw this flick over the weekend and couldn't have been more impressed. Totally agree that there may have been a little too much going on, but overall, it was the perfect summer popcorn movie. Although I do see the Stand By Me similarity, I thought it was analogous to another River Phoenix flick, Explorers. Maybe it was just the sci fi element.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, great movie for the summer only amplified by the fact that I saw it at the "The 5 Drive In" in Oakville. Is the Mustang in London still open? If so, make sure to check out a summer movie there. The throwback nature of this film fit perfectly with the throwback atmosphere of the Drive In.