Steven Spielberg used to own a special genre of movie. They were populated by wide eyed kids or adults who possess a certain innocence and wonder, and aliens who are scary, but with a heart (see ET or CLOSE ENCOUNTERS for examples). But Steven has moved on to other(not necessarily better) things, but not to worry, J.J. Abrams carries the torch for Spielberg in the fantastic SUPER 8. Abrams is an amazingly talented filmmaker. He really knows how to grab an audience and glue them to their seats. SUPER 8 has heart and a child’s innocence looking at a happier past. It also has incredible visual effects (the train crash is breathtaking). As in CLOVERFIELD, we never really see the alien until later in the film, but we know he’s out there and we know he’s a bad ass. Why else would the Air Force be so calculating and secretive, right? The movie hits all the right notes and while some may roll their eyes at the quieter and sweeter moments, it all worked perfectly for me. The young actors carry the film with special nods to Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney and Riley Griffiths. And does anyone play loathsome government stooge better right now than Noah Emmerich(check him out as a rogue FBI Agent in “White Collar”)? From the opening moments to the 8MM film running through the credits, SUPER 8 is a superior SciFi adventure/thriller. — Alan Yudman