Detroit Metromix: Recalling the Magic of Spielberg

From the Detroit Metromix:

“Super 8” delivers everything moviegoers deserve in a high quality Hollywood blockbuster—exciting action, compelling characters, heart-tugging emotions and immersive escapism. It represents a significant step up from summer’s other major movie offerings, and something one imagines Spielberg himself would be happy to snag a “directed by” credit on. Keeping the plot under wraps only adds to its unique allure—there’s a good chance viewers may actually be surprised by the gradual reveals in the joyfully mysterious, and sometimes quite frightening, adventure. Those big movie pleasures are further enriched and elevated by the emotional range of an excellent young cast, spanning well established talents (Fanning adds another highlight to her increasingly extraordinary resume) and total newcomers (Courtney deftly handles leading man duty in his film debut). For all the genuinely eye-popping set pieces in “Super 8,” it’s in the characters’ quietest moments that Abrams most effectively connects his work to Spielberg’s most enduring efforts. So much supersized filmmaking focuses on taking the audience for a ride, but, no matter the genre or the budget, it’s the human touch that ultimately makes the difference.