Super 8
I saw this a few weeks ago and it needs bringing up because I like complaining about things. After treading dodgy ground with Star Trek, JJ Abrams has now been added to my list of directors who's films I will go out of my way to avoid seeing in the future. The list is currently just him and Michael Bay.
The reasons for this are numerous in nature, but what sealed it was how the film played itself out as some giant mystery, which would all come together towards the end into some unpredictable, exciting conclusion, ...and then instead, the most dull, uninspiringly boring end to any film since my VCR broke half way through Titanic happened. It's like the complete opposite to that Simpsons episode where Mel Gibson lets Homer create the ending to his film. I was so angry immediately afterwards I wanted to shout at someone, anyone, but knew I'd come along voluntarily so only had myself to blame.
Other things to be wary of:
- Kid actors: children can't act, although the girl was bizarrely better at acting in the scenes where she was acting like she was acting, than she was at actually acting. The fat child was also mildly tolerable for the first ten minutes or so.
- Cloverfield: I don't know what "Cloverfield" means, I don't know what "Super 8" means. I expect Abrams next "original" film will be similarly titled as if he'd just nicked the name from some product in the local supermarket, and will probably feature some kind of monster that looks remarkably similar to the one from Super 8 (which looks remarkably like the one from Cloverfield), roaming about pointlessly for a bit wreaking havoc, while some kind of completely unrelated and dull side plot takes over the film and ruins it.
- LOUD NOISES - There are lots of these. More than in any other film I've seen at the cinema. That stupid Transformers alien robot sound also puts in a predictably needless appearance. None of it seemed all that necessary. I'm pretty sure a real train crash would be like a silent harmony compared to how it was portrayed here.
Verdict - 4/10 - Some people will love it but I'll never fathom why. Go see Apes instead of 8. It's much better, plus it has apes in it.
I saw this a few weeks ago and it needs bringing up because I like complaining about things. After treading dodgy ground with Star Trek, JJ Abrams has now been added to my list of directors who's films I will go out of my way to avoid seeing in the future. The list is currently just him and Michael Bay.
The reasons for this are numerous in nature, but what sealed it was how the film played itself out as some giant mystery, which would all come together towards the end into some unpredictable, exciting conclusion, ...and then instead, the most dull, uninspiringly boring end to any film since my VCR broke half way through Titanic happened. It's like the complete opposite to that Simpsons episode where Mel Gibson lets Homer create the ending to his film. I was so angry immediately afterwards I wanted to shout at someone, anyone, but knew I'd come along voluntarily so only had myself to blame.
Other things to be wary of:
- Kid actors: children can't act, although the girl was bizarrely better at acting in the scenes where she was acting like she was acting, than she was at actually acting. The fat child was also mildly tolerable for the first ten minutes or so.
- Cloverfield: I don't know what "Cloverfield" means, I don't know what "Super 8" means. I expect Abrams next "original" film will be similarly titled as if he'd just nicked the name from some product in the local supermarket, and will probably feature some kind of monster that looks remarkably similar to the one from Super 8 (which looks remarkably like the one from Cloverfield), roaming about pointlessly for a bit wreaking havoc, while some kind of completely unrelated and dull side plot takes over the film and ruins it.
- LOUD NOISES - There are lots of these. More than in any other film I've seen at the cinema. That stupid Transformers alien robot sound also puts in a predictably needless appearance. None of it seemed all that necessary. I'm pretty sure a real train crash would be like a silent harmony compared to how it was portrayed here.
Verdict - 4/10 - Some people will love it but I'll never fathom why. Go see Apes instead of 8. It's much better, plus it has apes in it.
JCVD as the All-American soldier Guile is a truly great casting decision. It was terrible, but it brought back memories from my youth when the quality of films I enjoyed was much lower. 