Super 8 (2011)

This is a difficult to categorize movie. But enjoyable none-the-less. The reason is an engaging group of young actors who make us want to watch. Joel Courtney plays Joe, a sensitive boy whose mother has just been killed in an accident at her factory job. He and his newly widowed father (Kyle Chandler) are figuring out how to get along with each other without her while dealing with their grief. Joe's group of friends help distract him from his home life, as they make a movie for an amateur film festival. When they're filming a climactic scene near the train tracks, they watch — and film — an intense accident that has some pretty distressing repercussions. The rest of the kids are as follows: there's bossy director Charles, firework-loving Cary, hopeful actor Preston and wide-eyed Martin. Their all-boy dynamic is unsettled when they add a girl to the cast, and Alice (Elle Fanning) shakes up the screen with her sophistication and impressive acting skills. She also represents an element of growing up; the boys are on the verge of discovering girls, but the movie doesn't push it any farther than the first blush of a crush. It's very innocent in that way; ultimately, Alice, Joe's mother's death, and the ensuing crisis become key factors in the boys' coming of age. Not to mention a whole lot of stuff blows up and flies through the air. But with a plot.
Super 8 fails to choose a distinct genre; it wavers between coming-of-age tale, a monster movie, and then a family drama. But, this is still a highly entertaining movie. It's worth it to see for the buoyant sense of humor and the jaw-dropping, spine-chilling moments, even if it doesn't quite live up to expectations.