I really enjoyed it, as it reminded me why I first started to love movies, which has a lot to do with Spielberg films like E.T, Goonies, etc.

I thought it was a really good blend of homage to the style and feel of those 80's films, while also bringing some originality to the table.

I won't call it great, mostly because the 3rd act had some issues, which I obviously won't spoil for anyone here. Also, the monster/alien was a little too Cloverfield for me, and ***SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER*** by the end, when Joe comes face to face with it, I really didn't buy into the idea that we should all of a sudden feel sorry for it after it's been terrorizing and capturing people for the past two hours.

I'm also really happy that this isn't a monster movie at all, it's a coming of age story about the kids, and it balances comedy, action, and horror really well. The action pieces felt right, and the comedy never felt forced or out of place.

I must say, however, that the final sequence with Joe and Alice, with their dad's, and the whole 'letting go' with the locket really did a lot for me.

By the way, Elle Fanning stole the show. Wow. All the kids were really great.

So overall, It's a good movie, and a really good summer flick for sure, and what it lacks, at least for me, is made up for simply because it's a great homage to times past, as well as an original story, which is hard to come by these days.

I liked the richness of relationship conflict and how the film the kids were trying to make was the focus and challenge of the kid director.

I remember JJ Abrams talking about that very concept at TED. It seemed like he was trying to drive that concept home with the film.

I also loved how it had plenty of "make you jump in your seat" moments. It made going to see this with my wife that much more fun.

I also loved how the focus of the film wasn't the monster or the sci-fi aspect but it has such a core and simple conflict of two families trying to get past a mistake.

I thought it was a great movie!
I grew up watching those Spielberg movies from the 80's (countless viewings on VHS...) and that was so nice to feel again the same magical viewing experience in front of Super 8.
It's a wonderful piece of storytelling, a heartfelt coming of age story with great performances from the kids and it felt genuinely sincere all the way through. Also what I really liked was that it was a nod to a style of film making that has kind of disappear from the screens (specially in summer in all those crazy, noisy, stupid blockbuster that show every year...)where the story and the characters come first and originality is still a word in which the director and all the people involved in the movie believe in more than anything else. And just for that J.J deserves a great "bravo"

I actually wasn't that blown away by it.

I went in really wanting to like it, I've liked Abrams' other works and Spielberg has been a huge influence on me, so seeing a tribute to his early films sounded like a perfect film.

But it felt to me like he was chasing Spielberg too hard... like his film was trying desperately to be like a young Spielberg film rather than being a great film in its own right.

I really wanted to like the group of kids, but they never felt as naturally easy as the friendships in Stand By Me, or the sibling dynamics in ET.

I also thought the nature of the alien, by its design, relied too heavily on exposition. Between the military interrogation of the doctor and the audio recordings from his files, it really felt like we were just being told about the alien's story, not shown it.

Think about the simplicity of how ET came to earth and found Elliot, or the simplicity of the threat of Jaws. Or perhaps more relevant to the film, the simplicity of the misunderstood Iron Giant... maybe it would have helped if we had seen more of the military's attitudes in how they hunted down the creature, and then contrasted that with seeing the creature and its predicament sooner.

So for example, show that the creature was desperately trying to construct a power generator and build its ship much sooner. Maybe it could have had a couple of the building-cubes and we could have seen its failed experiments as it tried to evade the soldiers. Then make it clear that the solders think they are dealing with a dangerous, mindless beast. Make it clear from their actions that they don't see its intelligence, but we do. That puts it in a tragic situation and makes it sympathetic. There also would have been suspense as to whether Joe would cross paths with it in a good way or a bad way, considering its blanket hatred of humans.

By the time Joe did meet it, we knew it was good at heart, but it was explained to us via exposition through tape recordings! We had no personal connection with the alien or its plight.

I also thought Alice telling Joe about her father calling in sick was weak. Did Joe already know that story or was it kept from him? I wasn't sure whether it was supposed to be a revelation to the character or not. If it was some great secret... why? Alice's father wasn't really at fault. It's a tragic situation for everyone but it's not really on the level of town scandal that no one talks about. It was just one of those shitty things.

I know Abrams is a fan of the mystery box, but in this case I think it would have been stronger if we knew that story sooner. Because I didn't know exactly why the two fathers were enemies, I could never really invest in their conflict. And the explaination didn't feel natural, because Alice was recounting the incident as a revelation (which it was to us), but Joe should already have known it. So the characters would never talk that way.

Honestly, I think Abram's mystery box technique hurt the film in the end. Certinally having mystery and with holding information can make for compelling drama, but sometimes putting the audience into a superior position over the characters works wonders too. And I think knowing more sooner about this intelligent, but dangerous creature would have created more suspense in the lead up to Joe's confrontation, rather than keeping it as an unseen boogey-man.

My ten year old son loved it in a purer way than I could, probably in the same way I enjoyed Stand By Me, the Goonies, The Iron Giant, and E.T. as a kid.

I found it enjoyable and at times fascinating.

It couldn't be all things to all people. What film could?

Very good comments.

I liked it a lot. I was smiling when I went out to my car and that's what a good movie does...makes you feel good when you leave (entertained).

Ditto on just about all of the comments above. In "watching myself watch" this movie, I was blown away by how much script time was devoted to character development and relationship moments...within what I expected to be a sci-fi/action/thriller. That's so rare these days, when if your page count is over 105 you're accused of going all Herman Melville on the poor folks out in LA who hate to read...

So kudos to writer-director JJ and other like him who have the talent and clout to champion the timeless appeal of great storytelling via great characters first (instead of CGI and visual kinetics first, last and only) regardless of genre.

I LOVED the coming of age story line and the opening was brilliant. However, I could've done without the monster. It seemed misplaced. Should've kept it to some sort of military MacGuffin as the kids were so great and it felt like the new "Goonies" until...

It was nice to see a movie that reminded me of that feeling I got as a kid – going to summer movies and being transported and having a story told to me and not shoved down my throat (like so much of the stuff we get these days).

I loved how this was a movie about kids making a movie, not about an alien. All other things were secondary.

And as a parent, aspects of the movie moved me to a point I did not expect. That ending ripped me apart. I loved this movie more than I thought I would. And I planned on loving it a lot.

Huzzah to faulty "early tracking!"

Double huzzah to a victory for originality (to a certain degree) and creativity!

Hopefully my oldest daughter and I can fit this into our schedules this week.

I have a half-collapsed cardboard box in my garage labeled "Jeff's Films." Within are my Super 8mm stylings, circa 1980. (I believe one involves a re-animated cat, others involve a mummy-cat, and at least one is about a family of vampire cats... my pet cats were real troopers to put up with my cinematic ambitions!)

At the very minimum, this film will at least help explain to my kids why their Dad is damned weird!

I saw it last night and I loved it. I thought it did a phenomenal job of mixing suspense/thrills with character moments. It will probably end up being my favorite movie of the year.

And I couldn't disagree more with Robert's comments. To me it sounds like he's hating just to hate. This worked great as a homage movie but also as an original movie. Everyone should at least appreciate this because we don't get to see original movies like this anymore.

Such great news about "original" movie doing well, may we see a lot more smart and fresh offerings. Trailer looked fantastic.

My current high mark for monster movies is The Host, so generous with monster, plus I thought great characters, including spin on save the princess tale, I'm curious what other folks' take on that movie is.

Another movie coming soon, compared a bit in reviews to Goonies, from UK, Attack the Block, I can't wait, and apparently is pretty character-driven, like Super 8.
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD0gm7dHKKc
Review: http://twitchfilm.com/reviews/2011/05/attack-the-block-review-1.php