Super 8. Explosive storytelling, amusing yet heartfelt.

When the explosive but obscure teaser trailer shadily appeared on the internet earlier last year, rumours were that Super 8 was the next chapter of the high-octane Cloverfield. Sure enough, both films adopted a similar, viral marketing strategy, and both seemingly included stuff blowing up but, in terms of substance, the comparisons stop there. Super 8 displays a heart-warming tale of nostalgia and finding one's own place in the midst of disaster.

As a strange but beautiful lovechild of super-cool director JJ. Abrams and seasoned veteran Steven Spielberg, Super 8 shows a winning combination in terms of director/ producer partnerships. It is hard to believe that Abrams hasn't looked up to Spielberg at some point in his career and, in this film, he seems to have collaborated extensively and creatively with the man. Super 8 a feels like a Spielberg film but directed by Abrams in a witty, post-modern fashion.

A truly Spielbergian sense of childhood naivety and wonderment is deeply rooted within the narrative of Super 8, giving a nostalgic nod to a bygone era. The period backdrop of the 70's providing an amusing yet reminiscent setting complete with homages to the Hollywood adventures of that generation. The young characters are lovable and down-to-earth, exchanging humorous banter and well-crafted dialogue. Abrams certainly succeeds in creating a yearning for a lost age of filmmaking, rich with thrilling storytelling.

With the intense special effects and nausea-inducing action scenes that seems the norm in most monster invasion films nowadays, Super 8 feels refreshingly original, with a well-paced, simple yet effective story. That is not to say it skimps on the thrill-driven scenes as we see plenty of explosions, tanks and guns – enough to comfort the action movie disciples of the audience. The train crash scene is a harrowing experience with breathtaking CGI that makes it seem to last forever. Long-time Abrams collaborator Michael Giacchino teams up with the director, providing a killer soundtrack for these gripping moments, making them all the more emotive.

Amongst a collection of summer blockbuster including the likes of Transformers 3, The Green Lantern and Captain America, Super 8 seems to be a rare and welcome treasure. The film is a poignant tale, providing a whole host of different emotional connections from laugh-out-loud moments to moments where you really experience the characters' sadness. Although the film falls into many genres, Super 8 plainly sets a lofty bar for monster and alien films to follow, going far beyond its prior equivalents.