This is the first of a new, reoccurring series called "DROP EVERYTHIN". I hate writing about things that are new and topical (I'm usually painfully behind the times), so this is a series in which we'll discuss things you may have missed.
I saw Super 8 in theaters the first weekend of its release. I got there early, finding my favorite seat in the very back where I could put my feet up without bothering anyone, and as people entered the theater and the previews flashed on the screen I was excited. This was a movie right in my genre-wheelhouse, another classic "kids take on the bad guys and save the day" movie a la The Goonies, Home Alone, and others. All the ingredients were in the mix. Ensemble cast of kids. Mr. "Clear Eyes Full Hearts" Kyle Chandler in a leading role. Spielberg at the helm. Script penned by JJ Abrams. As I've gotten older I tend to find reasons to dislike movies; I get it from my mom and I'm trying to get over it. But as the previews came to a close I thought, at worst, Super 8 bring me back to a time when I didn't.
Then the movie started. We open at a small gathering in a small house in a small, blue collar town. Everyone is wearing nice clothes and talking quietly as they nibble on humble potluck spread; "Why does everyone look so sad?" I thought, shoving a slippery handful of popcorn down my gullet. Then came the sudden realization that someone has just died. Next I realized it was a mother. If my mom would've been in the theater with me she would've sarcastically exclaimed "Oh great! Another 'Mom's Dead' movie!" I coughed up a kernel, took a deep breath and massaged my sinuses. This wasn't what it was supposed to be. Not another "Mom's Dead" movie.
Jimmy (I don't know the main character's name) and his father Coach Taylor are having trouble dealing with the untimely passing of Jimmy's mom; it seems as if they don't have a lot in common and it was the mother who really kept the family together. Jimmy decides the guests have become no comfort to him, so he hops on his sad little bicycle and rides away. It was the most depressing, downer of an opening I can remember from a movie I thought was going to be fun (Up is an obvious exception, but that now legendary opening sequence was so much more moving and artfully done). I had sympathy for Jimmy, but the choice of opening put me squarely into "criticize everything" mode. I nitpicked the length and the acting performances and the plausibility of a train crash causing an Armageddon-like disaster, not to mention the alien who inexplicably didn't slaughter Jimmy in the end. I audibly groaned "MY GOD!" and dropped my full bag of popcorn onto the ground in resignation. I wanted so badly to like it, but in the end I couldn't wait until it was over.
Crack a smile! You're in a movie!
For me, one bad sequence set off a domino effect of hate for Super 8. Perhaps such rigid criticism is harsh, but it goes to show two things: the first being that I will never change and the second is that the genre itself is difficult to get right. Compelling "kids take on the bad guys and save the day" movies are rare, endangered even, because they require extremely careful direction, charismatic child actors, and airtight scripts. Added to the trickiness is weighing the stakes of the story against the overall tone. In The Sandlot, the gold standard for films about kids, the stakes were low; the boys have to get the Babe Ruth baseball back before Smalls's father returns, and so in turn the tone was lighthearted and fun. Super 8 was uneven, too often drifting into the "family drama" and "feelings" territory that movies like that should avoid like the plague.
Fortunately in the same year, another "kids take on the bad guys and save the day" movie was released, albeit to a much smaller audience and fanfare. But for those of us who were lucky enough to catch some of the Internet buzz and saw it it in theaters, Attack the Block was the antidote for disappointment of Super 8.
"Inner City vs. Outer Space", reads the tagline. Aliens versus thugs, facing off head-to-head in a match up that would not feel out of place in a blaxploitation film or an episode of Manswers. But ATB is anything but cliche, never chasing a cheap laugh or utilizing the convenient stereotypes inherited in the absurd premise. In fact the film as a whole can be taken as a social commentary. Issues of race and class permeate throughout; as the kids struggle to defend their modest London housing project from annihilation they wonder out loud why the fuck the police or, hell, the army haven't arrived to help them (The lack of a military/police response in ATB juxtaposed against the lightening fast military action taken in Super 8's largely-white middle class town is fascinating). The kids battle the alien invasion, the cops, and revenge-seeking drug dealers as they have battled every day of their short lives, relying on their own strength of will, a blunt between them, and bicycles for a quick escape.
But who needs all the sobering politics in a "kids take on the bad guys and save the day" movie? The good thing is that they only serve to augment ATB's story; the film never gets distracted from its main goal, which is to kick ass. Like Moses, the story's brooding central character, ATB is a movie that feels dangerous, confident and self-assured in its irreverent humor and splendidly violent action, with Basement Jaxx's impeccable score pulsating throughout (I'm not an EDM fan but apparently they are a big deal). The script is lean and razor sharp; from the moment the first alien crashes into earth not a moment feels wasted. The film was produced by the "Shaun of the Dead" guys, and directed, in a strong debut effort, by Joe Cornish. Their dry humor, heart, and massive talent shine through. We even see a familiar face in Nick Frost, who plays a bumbling drug dealer who, naturally, enjoys nature shows.
Despite the movie's modest budget, the special effects are fantastic. The jet black alien monsters are menacing and relentless, darting in and out of dark alleys and barrelling through narrow hallways in hot pursuit. The monsters provided moments that were genuinely terrifying, another rarity in this type of film. The final sequence, without giving anything away, is one of the most satisfying, thrilling, EPIC action sequences I have seen in a long time, and as the stakes are constantly raised throughout the film there is a genuine sense of panic. These kids may or may not make it out. Mind-blowing.
But what about the characters? A rule of thumb in judging a "kids take on the bad guys and save the day" movie is simply asking yourself "would I want to hang out with these kids?". If the answer is no, Super 8, then the movie likely fails. ATB's protagonists are criminals and drug users who rule their kingdom and do what they please, so obviously the answer here is "Yes". The delinquent heroes are delightful. It doesn't take long to get a feel for their voices, and the authenticity of their accents and slang add to the (forgive me) swagger of the film. There is a hierarchy within the gang, and Moses (remember the name John Boyega) is their unquestioned leader. The necessary archetypes are present; there is the wise ass "Squints" character called Pest, the nerdy Jerome, and fireworks specialist Biggz among others. We've seen these characters before, and the sense of familiarity is comforting. Far more so than Super 8 does ATB feel like the kids movies we used to love, but, just like us, a little older and utterly desensitized.
If you haven't seen this movie, I suggest you DROP EVERYTHIN and do so immediately. Whatever you're doing, just stop...I just bought a copy at Blockbuster so, you know, if you'd like to borrow it..
ATTACK THE BLOCK > EVERYTHIN
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