From Film Femme Fatale: 

"This summer movie does not fail to charm and slightly infuriate, though thankfully not in equal measure. The child stars are funny, sweet and gorgeous, even the chubby one. This is where the film’s heart lies, especially with the recently motherless Joe Lamb, the hero of the film who definitely turns from lamb to lion as this Sci-Fi thriller takes him on his own weird journey of discovery. Joe’s heartache and longing for love beat on his sleeve for all to see and you cannot fail to fall under his doe-eyed spell, touchingly played by newcomer Joel Courtney...there is a lot to love about Super 8. It is genuinely warm, romantic, sweet and funny, with the 1970s recreated to brown and mustard wallpaper perfection. I double dare you not to fall under its charms." 

Arizona Central lists Joel Courtney and Super 8 as one of the "Top 10 regular kids in movies" of all time.

"Throughout, no matter how fantastic the situation, Joe remains a regular guy, and the movie benefits greatly from that."

According to Clint O'Conner with The Plain Dealer, Super 8 is the 2nd best movie of the summer -- right behind Harry Potter. 

Here is a teaser trailer for "Tom Sawyer - Huckleberry Finn". This trailer was made before Joel Courtney and Jake T. Austin were cast as Tom and Huck.

Ashtown Burials I--The Dragon's Tooth (book trailer) from Gorilla Poet Productions on Vimeo.

During the month of August, Joel is in Sofia, Bulgaria, shooting the movie "Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn". Joel plays the role of Tom Sawyer, Jake T. Austin plays Huck, and Kat McNamara plays Becky. The movie is currently in production, shooting in Bulgaria. Tom Sawyer is directed by Jo Kastner and produced by Marcus Weinhart. 

During the months of September and October, Joel is in North Caroina shooting the movie "The Healer". Joel will be playing the role of Nick, and Isabelle Fuhrman will play his sister, Michelle. The Healer is written and directed by Giorgio Serafini and produced by Susan Johnson and Giuseppe Pedersoli. 

From Entertainment Weekly: 

Joel Courtney, the promising young star ofSuper 8, is featured in a brand new, action-filled trailer, but this clip isn’t for the next big Hollywood blockbuster. It’s for a book.

N.D. Wilson, author of the popular young-adult 100 Cupboards trilogy, asked his hometown friend for a little help to launch his next book, the first in a projected five-part series titled Ashtown Burial #1: The Dragon’s Tooth (out Aug. 23). Both Wilson and Courtney hail from Moscow, Idaho (Courtney currently goes to school with the author’s kids), which provided the inspiration for The Dragon’s Tooth’s blue-collar Americana setting. When it came time to make a promotional trailer — which Wilson himself wrote, produced and directed — Courtney was an ideal and convenient choice to star. In the exclusive video preview, Courtney plays Cyrus, a wayward and rebellious boy who joins a fantastical group of explorers in adventures far beyond the run-down motel he and his sister, Antigone, call home.

Checkout the video trailer!