If you had to describe Super 8 in one sentence it would be best to simply say Stand By Me meets Cloverfield.

With so many blockbuster movies hitting the big screen at the moment, I can honestly say if you are only able to watch one, Super 8 should be at the top of the list J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg’s Super 8 is a compelling showcase of both filmmaker’s strengths while delivering a blockbuster full of heart.

From the start to end, it is clear these iconic filmmakers have used what made their previous movies a success and delivered something that stands alone with the current blockbusters, and in doing so not once does it sacrifice the heart behind the story.

In short, the film tells the tale of Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), whose mother’s tragic death in the local factory has driven a wedge between him and his local sheriff’s deputy father. While filming their amateur Super 8 zombie movie, Joe and his school friends accidentally witness a train accident capturing on film the mostly unseen alien prisoner whose revenge against his human captors predominantly provides the overall plot.

If you’re thinking “oh here comes E.T. ”, you’ll be heavily mistaken. This alien isn’t cuddly and the movie itself is only in part about the alien. What really drives the story are the characters of the film, especially Joe’s friends and their struggles. The performances from this group of talented young individuals is ground breaking and feel so real that you honestly believe these kids had been friends throughout school. It must be noted that Dakota Fanning’s sister Elle’s performance is superb and will fully cement her as a Hollywood actor, who in the past has been overshadowed by her sister.

There is an awesome moment shared between Joe and his filmmaker friend, Charles, who informs us that explosions, special effects, makeup and even zombies aren’t enough to make a story flow, viewers need to care about the characters, their journey and care that they have a real journey to begin with. It is this very same point that both Abrams and Spielberg delivers Super 8, so successfully. Now don’t get me wrong, the action and special effects in this movie are amazing, but it is truly the characters and their journey that really have you on the edge of the seat.

The U.S. Air Force fills the role as the film’s main villain, but the real dramatic struggle isn’t against the mean soldiers or even the alien, as I said earlier this is not what the film is really about, instead these aspects of the movie provide the background for a father and son to confront not only their grief but also their broken relationship.

It is through the most explosive on-screen train wreck, the Air Force lead by the ruthless Col Nelec, and the underlying conspiracy to keep the news of what actually happened from the local town residents, to provide all the challenges in which the father and son try to find each other again. When Joe finally confronts the alien face to face (which leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat), he seeks out to prove that overcoming both pain and grief maybe a universal aspiration, that in turns moves Super 8 from being just a typical alien blockbuster to something that touches on both the human heart and psyche.

At the end of the day the less you know about this movie, the better experience you will have in watching it. Call me overly emotional since my 29th birthday is this weekend but I found a little tear swelling up in the end. Though blockbuster movies like X-Men: First Class move you with their symbolic metaphors and analogies, Super 8 will move you in a way that surpasses what E.T ever did, and it is ultimately due to the fact that with the exception of an extraterrestrial aspect the true journey of the film is how one chooses to face and overcome every day challenges like that of loss, pain and grief.

This is a must see!