Saw it in the theater, saw it again now because I want more 70s/80s nostalgia like Stranger Things. I was also curious why I didn't like the movie the first time, and I was reminded quickly and often that this movie has no soul. It is a well made automaton, much like J.J. Abrams reboots of Star Wars and Star Trek, but likewise feels hollow.
Lost was good, and it had soul, even though it increasingly ran off the rails, but since then, the magic is gone. If Abrams is following in the footsteps of Spielberg, he seems to be following the later sentimental and useless period (from The Color Purple and on), not the early stuff that was interesting (Jaws, Close Encounters, Raiders, E.T.).
Its actually kind of impressive how well produced Super 8 is, and how close it is to E.T., and yet is as life-like as a mannequin. There are so many people, in front of and behind the camera, trying so hard, and you can't help but root for them, and want them to succeed. Unfortunately by the end its like being the senior medical technician looking down at your rookie partner, tirelessly doing CPR on a corpse, and you almost don't have the heart to tap them on the shoulder and say, OK kid, you did good, but you can stop now.
