Super 8 isn’t a prequel or a sequel, a remake or a reboot, but nor is it what you’d call an original. No, it’s very much a homage; a reel of reverence that writer/director J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek) has addressed, with handwritten hugs and kisses, to the modern master of movie magic, Steven Spielberg (E.T. The Extra-terrestrial, Jaws).

But does Super 8 offer much more than a blast from the past? Debatably not, no. As elements of nostalgia become instances of déjà vu, it becomes difficult to view the film as anything but a respectful and well-crafted acclamation of Spielberg’s career. Still, while the line between inspiration and imitation blurs, what remains crystal clear is that Super 8 has been made with nothing but the purest of intentions: to entertain. And entertain it does.