I really wanted to love this movie. Having grown up in the 80's blessed with so many classic Spielberg movies the thought him making one with JJ Abrahams was tantalizing. Unfortunately, it seems that by working together they have simply produced a compilation of all there best ideas which when put together into an entire movie simply don't wash. There were so many ideas taken from past Spielberg movies, Jaws, Close encounters, ET just to name a few. Then into to the mix comes JJ with his Lost / Cloverfield (which I love) mystery monster adult story. The result is a continued battle between a touching, funny, kids Spielberg movie with a confusing, alien monster that kills soldiers and has unbelievable power which as the story unfolds becomes absurd as to how the Army ever had control of it in the first place. This simply did not at up at all! To keep it simple these two movie styles should be kept separate. When they are combined together there is not enough of either to satisfy. Through the majority of the movie I just sat there thinking I've seen this before, I know what's going to happen next, it was better in the eighties. Cloverfield was far better, The Goonies was a classic, ET was a classic, Close Encounters was a classic, Jaws was a classic. This unfortunately was not!
