Watch the trailer for the new J.J. Abrams film “Super 8” and you’ll notice more than a few Spielberg-style touches.
The trailer teases at something otherwordly, but we’re never told or shown what it might be (“E.T.”). The children at the heart of the story are ripped right out of Suburbia-ville (“E.T.” “Poltergeist”). And, after a single viewing, you’ll put “Super 8″ on your must see list (nearly all of Spielberg’s films prior to “Amistad”)
It certainly helps that Steven Spielberg himself is listed on the film’s producer credits.
Perhaps that’s no accident. Never mind the now-discounted talk of M. Night Shyamalan as “the next Spielberg.” Abrams may be the real deal, or as close as we can realistically expect.
Abrams, like Spielberg, began his entertainment career toiling on small screen projects. And while it’s unfair to compare the two – Abrams’ “Star Trek” was an unabashed treat, but it’s no “Jaws” – the two share a populist feel that’s impossible to deny.
They’re both showmen, directors who know how to give us the ol’ razzle dazzle without pandering. And, occasionally, their mainstream instincts strike cinematic gold. Consider Spielberg’s “War of the Worlds” sequence where the aliens pop right out of the ground, or the glorious opening moments of “Star Trek.”
So while labeling Abrams Spielberg 3.0 may be inexact, it’s fair to say the two make going to the movies a treat.
(Photo: Left to right: Elle Fanning plays Alice Dainard and Joel Courtney plays Joe in “Super 8,” from Paramount Pictures. Photo credit: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures © 2011 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.)
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m pretty sure the Martians popping out of the ground in War of the Worlds is just following the book, but kudos to Spielberg for following the book and doing it well. Now if he could just stop talking moral equivalency between terrorists and Israel, I might willingly pay money to see his movies.
I incline to like Abrams, though, even if I do think “making an actually good new Star Trek installment” would’ve been more productive than rebooting the franchise. Then again I think Enterprise and Deep Space Nine were the best Star Treks—I doubt they want a person whose criterion is “as little like Star Trek as possible, please”.
I wonder how long until “suburbia-ville” Spielberg type movies like this are condemned as racist?
= Fast Five
The movie looks like one big homage to Spielberg’s Early years.
Not exactly a bad thing.