Den of Geek: Super 8 in the Top Ten of 2011 !

Den of Geek places Super 8 in the Top Ten movies of 2011: 

Time will tell whether Abrams' homage to the '70s will be remembered alongside those coming of age sci-fi adventures of the past, but right now, looking back at the triumphs of 2011, it really should be. Don't be fooled, though, this is the Star Trekdirector's movie through-and-through, even if Spielberg's name was just as big on its poster.

The first smart move the film made was to cast child actors, almost exclusively supporting the film's increasingly frantic action, who could actually act. Would E.T.have been so compelling if Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore had failed to portray those pivotal emotional beats? The answer is probably no, and the cast of Super 8 are as good, if not better, than those capable child actors in taking the audience on the film's journey.

Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning are great at inhabiting the central love story, and supporting actors Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee, Gabriel Basso and Zach Mills all hold their own. Griffiths, especially, is the film's stand-out performer, as his portrayal of hot-tempered director Charles harkens back to the ambitious director Abrams probably was during his childhood, and lends a certain integrity to the group of boys that might have been lacking otherwise.

These children are cruel to each other but love unconditionally, much like real friends might be seen to act.