There is not much in the world of entertainment that I have loved more than Lost, the brilliantly mystifying television series co-created by Super 8's director and writer J.J. Abrams. Because of my intense love of Lost, I have inflated expectations where Abrams is concerned. I'm not saying this is fair, but in the interest of full disclosure, you need to understand how high I've set the bar.

Unfortunately, Super 8 left a lot of room between its own greatness and the top of that bar. It was not devoid of brilliance, it was not a terrible effort by any means, but the experience fell far short of the hype.

I'll proceed sans spoilers which may result in my review being almost as predictable as Super 8's plot. The trailer reveals a group of young friends who are making a "super 8" movie at a train station when they witness a mysterious crash. After, they notice strange things happening in their town and begin investigating the phenomenon surrounding them.

As my friends and I left the theater, my friend Tom said, "It was like E.T. meets the Goonies." But these Goonies were Abrams-style characters — they were studied, pushed, they had to be known. Their development was the most tactile, wonderful thing about Super 8. All of the young actors did an amazing job, but the two lead characters played by Elle Fanning and Joel Courtney stood out for their vulnerability and depth.

It was too bad, but the brilliant character development was forced to stand on its own as the plot turned dull and predictable. The story just fell flat, leaving these wonderful characters as stranded and alone as the Lost gang. As much as it pains me to admit, Super 8? Not super great.

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