To say that I am anything short of one of the greatest Steven Spielberg fans walking the face of the earth is not an overstatement. I am endlessly nourished at the fountain of Steven Spielberg and see the genius in everything he has done. As much as he is the most successful filmmaker of the American 1970s generation -- which is what we're all currently considering the greatest time to have made movies -- he is far and away the least recognized given his endless successful ventures. If any other director had directed Jaws, Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun, Schindler's List, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, A.I., Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can -- if any other person had directed just one of those films it would have been the film of their career. That list is his resume. That should be about 30 Oscars deep and it doesn't even come close.
Having said that... when I saw that Spielberg was getting behind J.J. Abrams to make a movie about a bunch of kids who are in the middle of making their own movie and accidentally get the Area 51 train jack-knife derailment on footage. Well, excuse me, I was stunned. This was going to be the movie of the summer. I am here to report that so far -- with the exception of Midnight in Paris, a vastly different kind of picture -- it is. J. J. has done it again. Is anyone surprised?
The thing is an absolute homage to Spielberg's work right down to the fact that there are shots and sequences completely lifted from Spielberg's movies. If that is going to be a problem for you as a viewer and you're not going to be able to dive right in, you're going to miss the whole point. It's Goonies (which I realize is Donner with a Columbus script, but that was a Spielberg movie) colliding with the E.T. era and going on the kind of adventure Spielberg has been taking us on each time. If you're able to just hook into that fact, you are going to have the time of your life.
The action sequences are creative and near flawless. The child actors are astounding. I have to say there have been a slew of impressive kids out there this summer and you can just sign this entire cast right onto that list. They were playing such tightly scripted roles that made each character such a remarkable stereotype but such a real teen that the raw talent there is something that could be taken and molded into any youthful character. It was like watching the greatest "Freaks and Geeks" episode of all time -- without the lackluster pace of most Apatow projects -- much as I love them.
These kids kept this film's foot on the pedal.
You throw in the "emotionally milking overtly set up character interactions" established before an alien enters the picture -- and you're in Abrams wheelhouse. This is what this guy can do. It's not that different from an episode of "Lost" or Star Trek when you look at it tonally. Hell, even Mission Impossilble 3 felt the Abrams stamp good and hard. But I'll tell you what, the emotional moments -- while so obvious and simple -- worked. When J.J. is directing or producing he knows how to walk a ridiculous tightrope of sentimentality few directors can manage. I think the proof is in the pudding with Armageddon -- obviously that thing is a stinker -- Criterion Collection or not -- if Bay is at the helm. But Abrams can steer a giant action film right down the Hallmark aisle while keeping it all kick ass. The man knows his thing.
And it works here. This was the perfect melding of burgeoning director and massive iconic producer. Make Abrams the next Zemeckis. Why not? If the guy was 25 years older you think he wouldn't have eventually directed Forrest Gump along side another landslide resume of success?
It works.
But what about what obviously doesn't work. Spoiler alert -- if you didn't know this movie was about an escaped alien, then yes, I just spoiled it for you. Then again, you're a fool. What do you think this movie is about? And if you were just reading this review to find out -- well that's what it's about and it's absolutely radical and I haven't ruined anything. However -- the thing that just doesn't work is the monster. It's amazing that we've made it this far and the monster usually doesn't work. Oh, that's what's doing it? What is that thing? What does it want? What the heck's going on?
When there are quick shadows -- quick snatches -- quick deaths -- I'm dying to know what the hell is going on. Once I see it -- eh. But they built a great story with the characters and this doesn't then fall into the bin with Jeepers Creepers -- you just have to ride this one out and it overcomes this seemingly unavoidable flaw for Alien movies. You really have to hand it to Ridley Scott and James Cameron with Alien and Aliens -- like... those things are some serious shit. Since then we've kind of been hedging our bets somewhere between there and Conmunion. Someone has to get back to the monster shop and work on this.
So far the best of the summer -- save Woody. I recommend it highly.
- Matthew J. McCue
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