Super 8

It's official.  J.J. Abrams is the (slightly) more mainstream version of Guillermo del Toro.  They both love the shit out of some monsters, but del Toro puts MORE creepy, macabre beasts in his films.

Now, do yourself a favor and check out Super 8.  It may be the only good film that comes out all summer that is not a sequel or based on a comic book.  Yes, I said good.  Is my icy heart melting?  Am I seeing the good in mainstream events?  Have I begun my dark slide into the abyss of goofy smiles and happily watching whatever movie is pimped this week?
Hells no.  This is a very unique summer movie that hearkens back to the more innocent days of the 80's, when films did not always require a budget in the hundreds of millions to get summer movie consideration.
My wife and our friends called this Goonies meets Cloverfield meets E.T.  Since I never cared much for the Goonies (shut up), I compared the other two, but all of those are apt.
This movie is not original, in the sense that all the characters and the plot have all been done before.  This movie IS original in the sense that none of these elements have been put together so well before.  Plus, it feels like it really has been decades since young heroes were so well crafted in an action/drama.
In fact, I would say my only major complaint is that, because the kids roles were so well done-- between the acting, the characters and their lines-- the adults ended up being mostly one-dimensional and boring.
As for minor complaints:  The more movies I watch this summer, the more annoyed I find myself getting at the amount of 'suspension of belief' that seems to be required in even the best films I have seen lately.  Would it kill a writer to figure out a realistic way to get something done rather than make me pretend that the most ridiculous, brain-dead plan being acted out on screen is the one a normal person would choose to execute?  Also, please, please, PLEASE stop making high ranking military officials the heartless monsters.  Seriously, we have so many damn layers of PR and shit that there is no way in hell that half the movies I have seen this year or in years past would work out the way they pretend.
In this one, the local law enforcement keeps getting the run-around by the military.  Thing is, he's getting the run-around from a few low level Airmen and then a Colonel.  In reality, if a disaster like Super 8 were to really happen, the local sheriff would never get to talk directly to the Commander without at least six public relations and government officials present.
Anywho, that's it for the nit-picking.  The flick was entertaining, and J.J. Abrams showed an excellent bit of self-awareness at one point early in the film.  Without spoiling too much, one of his characters comments about what a story need to be truly good.  This comes back later, when the film itself develops that same plot point, from here on out called the B story. 
You see, the B story is really kind of boring.  Good from an acting and drama standpoint, but it drags the whole movie down and slows all forward moment for about 30 minutes.  Personally, I don't think any B story needs to distract so much from the main film, but at least Mr. Abrams had the good grace to apologize to anyone who didn't like it within the context of his own movie.

From a theater standpoint, I would recommend you go see it before it comes out on video.  There is a lot of suspense in the film and a few scares for people who always jump whenever something on screen does the whole 'BOO!' thing.  As an added bonus for me, there were two kids directly behind me (one with a mullet, the poor guy.)  Just over halfway through the movie I hear the kid squeak in terror again and then turn to his mother and exclaim "this movie is terrible! It's so scary!"

Do yourself a favor and check out Super 8.  The only movie I have enjoyed more than this all summer was last week's X-Men: First Class, and that's completely because of my own bias.  If you liked Cloverfield but hated the shaky-cam, love E.T. but thought it could use more violence, or really enjoyed the Goonies but think pirates are sissies, then you should enjoy the crud out of Super 8.