Super Super 8

Now on the other hand, especially compared to the Ma Ba Sploom quality of Transformers (not to say that ALL Ma Ba Sploom movies are not so great--some of them are actually quite good), Super 8 turned out to be quite...super.

What with Spielberg's curiousity for what's beyond, J. J. Abrams and his flare for keeping you in the dark (and his affinity for the use of film flares), and Brian Burk for...whatever it is he does in association with J. J. Abrams, it was a super-satisfyingly good flick. The cast of almost-unknowns was well selected and lent a feel of "these could be real people" to the movie while their stories unraveled slowly enough to keep you guessing, but honestly enough so that you could guess and you wanted to see if you were right.

None of the twists had you rolling your eyes and none of the solutions seemed too pat (one came close, but not too close). I think the hardest part in these "omg did you see that, what the hell was that" movies is the reveal of the "what the hell was that," and 9 times out of 10, the actual thing is WAY less exciting than what you were guessing it was. Super 8, in my opinion, was not quite that 1 time in 10 that you were not disappointed to finally meet what it was, but it wasn't a total "omg THAT'S what it is?" either.

I had a good time falling in love with the characters and their stories for the first time in a slew of movies...it was superbly refreshing.

Is this a movie review? I suppose it is, in a way. What I think it is is me putting down in writing a reminder to myself that not all movies are crap, just the majority of the ones I'm managed to catch in the past little while. Not that I've had many good ones on my recents list.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice - we were testing the DVD for a friend. Thank god the DVD playback f-ed up 1/3 of the way through...I wasn't sure I could take much more of Nicholas Cage, let alone his hair.

Step Up 3 - again, testing it for a friend. Luckily I knew it was f-ed up 1.5 minutes into the movie...and the DVD playback was f-ed up too.

The Prince of Persia - Oh Jake...I bet you're still kicking yourself over turning down the role of Jake Sully to "act" in this movie instead.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Actually, I really liked this movie. Aside from Toronto-spotting throughout the film, it was a lot of fun and super-nerdy which I heart. Oh, and Michael Cera kicks ass--in the movie too.

The Wolfman - A lot of people I've spoken to about this movie disagree with me and say it was a good movie. I guess I had much higher expectations for Benicio and Sir Anthony...and Agent Smith. The graphics weren't good enough to make me believe and the story wasn't strong enough to keep me interested. I stick to my guns on this one--it was wholly meh.

What's next on the list? Date nights with the Mister are to still include X-Men: First Class (James McAvoy? Why not?), Cowboys vs. Aliens (I'd watch it for Olivia at home, but otherwise definitely the Mister's pick), and Captain America (thankfully I have a soft spot for titillating super-movies). I'd love to finally watch last year's winners and nominees, especially The King's Speech, but alas I am not the downloading master. Besides, it's probably better that way--the house is still in such a disarray...