Super 8, the latest effort from J.J. Abrams’ mystery box, is a blend of alien invasion, coming of age, and learning to let go films wrapped up in a glossy, nostalgic shell. The problem is, it never comes close to pulling off any of these narrative instruments completely. It never settles on what it wants to be and muddles through a lot of the narrative to shift to the next set piece. The alien invasion aspect is never given any high stakes that feel real. The coming of age bits are ham fisted. And the letting go element comes up empty with no real emotional depth to it. But, just like Star Trek, Super 8 looks damn good.

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If you’re not careful, you may wind up a regular, boring person. You’ll sip only from bottles of regular, boring mind-juice. Your blood will never boil, whether in contempt or jubilation, at the sight of any unscheduled programming. You will never swing your Existential Monster Truck over the double-lines, crushing regular, boring soul-vessels in the process. In fact, you’ll just become mired in the homogeneous muck of mediocrity.

Forever.

Because that’s what THEY want.

Welcome to the Monday Morning Commute! This weekly post is my excuse to ramble and then show you how I’ll be keeping my (in)sanity via entertainment. After I puff, I’m going to pass – hit up the comments section and share what you’ll be doing in the upcoming days.

Let’s rawk.

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Yeah son, yeah! Did you check out the Super 8 trailer? Did it make you feel like you were staring at Ronald Reagan on television as President, and worshipping at the feet of Hulk Hogan before he was a bloated orange hot dog ready to burst?

Then hit the jump and check out the poster for it that has dropped.

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Oh man. Shave off your pubes, pretend you’re not obsessed with death and sex, and prepare to hit the wayback machine. The trailer for J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 has arrived, and it is every bit the Spielbergian homage that I was hoping for.

Hit the jump, check out the video.

Then let me know your impressions.

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