Matt Shea
RubySoho
Morgan Bell
Cibbuano
David O'Connell
Mountain Fog
Cloverfield
January 16th 2008 21:42
Producer J.J. Abrahms kept the production in total secrecy, except for a few mysterious websites and a teaser trailer.... going in, everyone knew that "Cloverfield" would be a monster movie - and that monster would destroy New York.
We waited in anticipation.
The movie opens and it seems to be a home video from a handheld camcorder. A scene starts with two lovers in bed, waking lazily to a bright sunny day overlooking Central Park.
This footage is interrupted by a different couple preparing for a party, suggesting that the first video was taped over.
We then have to sit through an agonizing amount of time as the party is prepared for, filmed, with the cameraman, an awkward dullard named Hud, recording testimonials of all the utterly vapid party attendees. A better description, from Cinemablend:
"His friends are a bunch of annoying, pretty boy hipsters with all the personality of a tongue depressor. You know the type: sexily stubbled, wealthy twenty-somethings who six months ago were probably sleeping on the floor of a frat house somewhere living off daddy’s money and who have now graduated college to move into trendy, Central Park apartments where they’ll take their place in the world as either corporate CEO’s or brilliantly troubled, babe-magnet musicians. "
Hee hee!
This section of the movie is, as we expected, brought to an explosive end as an explosion rocks the city, causing the fancy friends to flee in different directions, leaving behind a little smoke cloud and facial hair.
When "Cloverfield" gets going, man, it goes... the city gets levelled as we get peeks at the monster. Curiousity is overcome, though, by the sheer carnage: fire, brimstone and debris, raining from the sky.
Abrahms intended to make an American version of Godzilla, with all the fear and terror that came with the groundbreaking Japanese original... where he triumphs is in the use of special effects that don't remove you from the cinema. Seamlessly blended in with the handheld footage, the carnage is so frighteningly real that I accidentally let out a thrilled yelp of excitement.
Have you ever been to Manhattan? It's so built up and intimidating that a tiny, regressive part of you would love to be skyscraper-sized, knocking down buildings with your fist, like the lizard in Rampage.
Fearnote says::
"If Cloverfield was inspired by 9/11 the way the original Gojira was inspired by the decimation of Hiroshima -- I guess each culture tries to defeat its fears (and painful memories) through artistic expression."
Most of the reviewers agree on one point: "Cloverfield" is an incredibly fun genre movie that comes in, knocks you around, then leaves in a hurry. From Epinions:
"Perhaps the greatest thing about Cloverfield as a whole is that it runs a sparse 80 minutes."
Yes, it's a short movie, which is good because, by the end, the coincidences and plot leaps were wearing a little thin. The main characters seem to be involved in every major event of the monster attack, and you half-heartedly wish that the monster's foot would just end it.
Luckily, though, there's enough of "The Blair Witch Project" and "Cannibal Holocaust" in the movie to keep us occupied, and the filmmakers did a great job of making the bouncing handheld footage coherent enough for us to make sense of. "Cloverfield" is definitely worth the price of admission, and it brings back the days of when you 'had' to go to the cinemas to get the full experience.
This has to be seen in cinema-glory. Watch it with some monster-lovin' friends and enjoy the ride.
I say: Definitely recommended... a great summer blockbuster to make you want to go to the movies again. The home video gimmick starts to get tiring, but the short length of this movie is perfect.
See it for: Non-stop destruction makes an 80-minute movie enjoyable enough! Also, one of the unknown actors, Odette Yustman, is a real cutie! Check this image out!
*this image is taken from IMDb
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Glad you had a good time, pity I didn't make it.
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Mis, go now, before people spoil it for you!
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