Movies

Look, I'm biased. When I first saw the movie in 2011 while I was still just in middle school, I was enamored. Now, 8 years later, as a film student inspired by this movie, I can honestly say that it still holds up. A lot of the love I have for this movie is purely fueled by nostalgia, but even aside from that, the thrills and heartstring tugs this movie delivers still stand up to the test of time so far. This movie is always going to mean the world to me, and I hope someone out there sees this and gives it a shot. It's so criminally underrated and under-appreciated.

Teenagers in 1979 Ohio, filming a Super 8-mm movie for entry in a competition, witness a derailment at the train station; assuming the kids have the incident on film, a hard-nosed colonel with the U.S. Air Force is soon on their trail, but he knows more than they do. Boys' adventure story-cum-monster movie from writer-director J.J. Abrams, who is slavishly faithful to producer Steven Spielberg's homey touch throughout. The scenario never jells and, although the production is elaborate, the narrative is scattered to the winds. The kids, leftover Goonies, have obviously been cast for their physical differences (one short, one tall, one with braces, etc.), but their personalities are one-dimensional on film; they're generic (much like the picture itself) and fail to generate interest—but I wouldn't blame the young actors, it's just not there in the writing. ** from ****

As an homage to the Spielberg films of the 80's, this movie succeeds. As a piece of original entertainment? Nothing happening, folks. Now, if you're a kid and have never seen The Goonies, Jaws, ET, War of the Worlds, and Cloverfield, you may think this film is absolutely wonderful. And judged through the lens of cinema history, it may well be looked upon as a culmination of all that came before.Let's just hope that the future is filled with something in rare supply: originality.It's not that I wasn't entertained, it's just that I expected something more.And I suppose that's another problem with getting older. There aren't as many surprises left in the world.