In the late 1970s, the New Hollywood Cinema’s influence on the film industry made way for a new wave of filmmaking. The film school brats — Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg — brought back the childlike adventure turning the blockbuster film into something grand, simple and entertaining. With this bit of history in mind, it makes sense to set “Super 8” in 1979 amid such changes. This is a film worthy of the Spielberg  name –– an “E.T.” for the next generation.

Kyle Chandler stars as Jackson Lamb in the sci-fi thriller, “Super 8”. (photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures)

The premise is pretty basic. What would happen if a train leaving Area 51 crashed near a small town, unleashing its cargo? I imagine (and by “I imagine” I, of course, mean this film imagines for me) that all the dogs in the area might know something’s wrong and would run away. People would go missing. Unsavory Air Force officers might scour the area for something (they’ll never say what), and rolling blackouts would signify something far more harmful.

Did I mention this is all because of an alien taking a holiday after an extended vacation with a hostile branch of the government? (If this is all new to you, just search “Area 51”.)

This is “The Goonies” meets a monster movie. We follow a cast of pre-teens who stumble across a train crash while filming a zombie movie for a student film festival.

After a crash scene that would make Denzel jealous, Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), still coping with the recent loss of his mother, tries to understand the catastrophic events around him, though a recently formed crush on Alice Dainard (Elle Fanning, Dakota’s little sister) splits his attention. Meanwhile, Joe’s dad, Jackson (Kyle Chandler), investigates all the strange occurrences and gets the runaround by the military.

An unseen creature moves in the shadows of both the town and the camera, only teasing us with ambiguous visuals of this antagonist’s complete form.

The film is predominantly about Joe and his relationship with Alice, the daughter of the man partially responsible for Mrs. Lamb’s death. Courtney, as Joe, is a solid lead, and not just in terms of child acting. He plays innocent with the best of them, making us remember the days of Elijah Wood and Haley Joel Osment.

Most effective action-adventure films, sci-fi or otherwise, have a memorable supporting cast.

Here we’re down to several young actors that you’ve probably never heard of before, who possess infectious energy and a fascination with the unknown, which just might make you wish you were young again too.

Charles (Riley Griffiths) is the loud-mouthed leader of the group, committed to directing his zombie flick. Martin (Gabriel Basso) is the star of their little film, but he’s got quite the weak stomach when things get too intense (like during a train crash or alien attack). Cary (Ryan Lee) loves his firecrackers, and Preston (Zach Millis) is the timid one who just can’t find his courage.

Equal parts thriller and feel-good adventure, “Super 8” packs in the fun that’s missing in this summer’s soft attempts at reel magic.

Dazzling special effects and several scary/jump moments blend well with strong acting and a decent amount of laughs. Nothing quite prepares you for the next “ah!” moment like a clever, childish banter. Director, J.J. Abrams, is the same guy who brought us sci-fi wonders like the television shows, “Lost” and “Alias”, and the rebooted film property, “Star Trek”. And let’s not forget his producer credit for “Cloverfield”.

The man can do monsters, intergalactic battles and childlike sci-fi fun, making each of his projects refreshing. This isn’t just “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” acting, but solid performances that can reach an audience of any age. Abrams is a pure storyteller.

While his TV shows have intellectual complexity along with some action, he has a very different approach for film, spending more time wowing us with digital eye candy, stellar performances and the intensity only possible with a movie budget.