Cloverfield
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Movie Reviews of Cloverfield
Movie Review: Less Is More
Summary: 5 Stars
We all know of the hype that surrounded this film and that was even before we even knew the name of the film, once we found out the name we became more pre-occupied with the Monster but we never really got to see the monster up close and personal. Even when the movie was released we're never really given a clear shot of the monster itself leaving more to the imagination, which I think makes it all the more special. The story tells of Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) who's about to leave New York city to start a new life in Japan, during his goodbye party he has an argument with his girlfriend, Beth (Odette Yustman) and she leaves while he has to attend the party with other things on his mind. By about this time the cameraman for the movie is Hud. (T.J. Miller) As the night progresses the party is shaken by an almighty roar for which they suspect may be an earthquake but after a news report we come to learn it's something so much more frightening.
There have been many complaints about the concept of the movie being Blair Witch-esque and being shot entirely by a handheld camera, but let me be honest when I say that it makes it all the more realistic and even more frightening. This is definitely a monster movie on the scale of the 1998 Godzilla but with one huge difference... OK maybe two and they are, we know nothing about the monster or where it comes from and we don't really come to know what it looks like. This is definitely big budget and the first scene in which the monster first attacks the city gives us the frightening vibe of the 9/11 attacks and the hysteria that the people felt at that time.
If the initial attack and the monster itself wasn't enough to scare the life out of you, then the little creatures that fall off the monster are seriously something to make you wet your pants with fright. They have the cringe factor of a very large spider, they're fast, they're crazy and if they bite you, you explode. We're never given any explanation about what's going on with the monster or the little creatures, we never find out why the people explode and indeed whether something in the Alien movie fashion jumps out. The lack of information we're given is really something that makes the whole film special as the less you know, the more your mind starts to play tricks and the more you start to think "well maybe this is what happens, or maybe that's it" you just don't know and that's what makes it an incredible film going experience.
This is something that you really should try, don't be put off by the wimpy claims of motion sickness or the pathetic ramblings of not being able to see much and the camera always swerving away from the best bit, as that's the point. It's more a movie for your imagination and let me tell you your mind really does play tricks. There is a sequel on the way and we have no idea how this is going to turn out, whether this will be a typical movie sequel or whether this will be another video camera movie from another point of view. The soldiers had cameras on their helmets so it's possible that the sequel may be from a soldiers point of view, I know I can't wait for the sequel but if you have yet to see the first movie, you really should try it out.
Movie Review: Everything Emmerich's "Godzilla" could and should have been
Summary: 5 Stars
It's not every director who can shoot an entire film with a hand-held video camera and make it engaging. But, for my money, that is precisely what director Matt Reeves has achieved with "Cloverfield." I was admittedly quite torn about catching this in theaters last January. For every five people in my immediate circle who were praising this film to the high heavens, there were at least the same amount more who claimed it was just as bad as "The Blair Witch Project." Much like that film, the camera does tend to shake. But, when you're running for your life while still trying to document everything you're witnessing, that pratfall is ultimately unavoidable. It did not, thankfully, detract me from investing my interest. And, unlike "Blair Witch," I actually had a visual threat in the guise of a truly unique and terrifying creature to react to.
That same creature, incidentally, makes its abrupt and unexplained arrival on the very night five young New Yorkers decide to throw a going-away party for one of their own. The first fifteen minutes of the film eases you into these characters, giving you just the right amount of insight into who they are and what they're all about. But, once the head of Lady Liberty comes crashing down the street outside their building, the real thrills begin! This ferocious invader, standing nearly thirty stories high, is certainly a formidable threat in and of itself. But it soon becomes apparent to our protagonists that it is not, by any means, alone. The rampaging monster is host to a multitude of smaller parasitical organisms that drop off from its body and scuttle along the ground like scorpions. One bite from these vicious critters, without giving too much away, would make anybody pray for a bullet.
As a lifelong giant monster fan, I had a blast! Roland Emmerich, who ten years ago helmed the ill-received "Godzilla," could easily learn a thing or two from "Cloverfield." It was everything that film could and should have been. In terms of overall mood and atmosphere, I would probably rank this right alongside the Japanese classic, "Gojira." I admit it may not be everybody's cup of tea, particulary for those who, like me, utterly despised "Blair Witch." But there is still much to savor here.
Among that, predominantly, is the special effects team. Had I not, for whatever theoretical reason, realized this was a fictional movie I was watching, I would have sworn somebody had captured a genuine monster rampage on their video camera. And, amazingly, despite the fact this whole thing takes place in Manhattan, the vast majority of the film was actually lensed on Paramount's back-lot in Los Angeles! Talk about an illusion! This is why I so rabidly savor all those "behind-the-scenes" featurettes most others, my own spouse specifically, take for granted. The DVD may not retain the same lasting impact of the theatrical experience, as most of my peers have already outlined. But, for the uninitiated, it does offer some invaluable insight into what exactly made this the box-office hit it quickly became. This review ultimately represents my own opinion. However you potentially judge it is entirely up to you.
Movie Review: Another great "found-footage" film
Summary: 5 Stars
"Cloverfield" is a pretty scary movie. It has a bit of everything in it. Horror, action, romance, comedy, drama; it has a lot of genres into it. The film isn't very long, and it may not have a lot to it, but it's still a very-well executed movie. The opening card in the beginning was pretty cool, with that "government" and "case designate Cloverfield" thing. That was an interesting way to begin the film. It finally rolls into the actual footage. The character development in the beginning was good, and I read that in the reviews for this movie that the characters were "one-dimensional", but in basically every "found-footage" film the people are one-dimensional. I bet nobody would be complaining about that if the film had regular camera cuts and weren't found footage.
Anyway, besides that, after about 18 minutes, the action finally begins with a loud boom. This movie is more intense because it's a large group of people screaming and freaking out. Another thing that makes this film pretty creepy is that it has this "apocalypse" feel to it. There's a lot of running and terror in the film. I guess the running made people get motion sickness, but it's their fault that they got motion sickness. They're the ones who saw the movie and they saw that it was done on video camera, and it obviously involves running, so it's basically their fault. I like the extreme shaky camera, and the pixelation, and how in some scenes it would cut back to footage from a month ago for a couple seconds. I also like those freaky-looking spider creatures in that one subway scene. The special effects were also great (it only had a $25 million budget).
I like how they only show little bits and pieces of the monster throughout the movie and at the end you finally see the whole thing in front of the camera. It's pretty scary looking. The end obviously doesn't explain everything (that's what a lot of people complained about), but I actually think it ended really well, with a cliffhanger. At the last shot in the movie, I like when it cuts back to a month ago and the last line in the movie is "I had a good day". The film may not have a lot to it, like I said before. It plays out like this, the "a month ago" scene, the party scene, the running scene, the subway scene, the mall scene, hotel scene, and it finally shows the monster and after that there's a couple more minutes. It may sound like a good amount, but for a movie that's not much. I'm not complaining about it, because I think the movie actually played out really well.
The audio at the way end when you hear "Help us" and when it's played backwards, you hear "It's still alive", was pretty cool, because it adds on to the cliffhanger effect, and it does make the movie even more creepier. Altogether, I think that even 3 years after the release of Cloverfield, the film is still worth watching again.
Movie Review: A pleasant (and creepy) surprise
Summary: 5 Stars
After all the hype (pro AND con), I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is one of the most intelligently written sc-fi/horror flix I've ever seen.
There's a bit of subtle social satire buried between the lines, and a pretty fair amount of incidental humor as well... particularly in the early "party" sequence, which starts with every indication of just being another boring "yuppie tweens in trouble" yawner. Don't be fooled, though... that's just the set-up, and it really helps to pay attention to all the details (if only to try to keep all the names straight, later.) It doesn't take long before all hell suddenly breaks loose, and you are convincingly sucked into the chaos and panic of the emergency that ensues.
Not to be too much of a spoiler, but I particularly enjoyed the touch of having the film being represented as a "found" going-away party tape, which happened to accidentally erase most of an earlier, date movie made by one of the main characters... this really helps to flesh out the personalities and adds to what is a surprisingly deft character development for this type of film. (Hint--pay attention when the unerased parts of the earlier video peep through.)
I also appreciated the fact that when things really hit the fan, the viewer never knows much more about what's going on than the movie's characters. This really adds to the suspense, and draws you emotionally into their viewpoint, and the immediacy and confusion of their plight. Also helpful is the lack of a dramatic or trendy hit-laden film score. Though they may have lost in after-marketing, they gained in atmosphere, and realism.
One warning though-- if you didn't like the jerky hand-held camera and the you've-got-to do-some-thinking-to-know-what's-happening aspect of, say, the Blair Witch Project, then you won't like this flick either. Some people get downright queasy when the camera isn't balanced by those expensive studio gyros, y'know? And maybe also when they actually have to think things through, rather than just sitting & screaming at splattering blood and severed body parts.
To wrap up, I thoroughly enjoy this DVD-- It's a keeper. The story line is surprisingly well planned and executed, especially considering the relatively small budget. And the writers don't insult the viewer by "explaining" everything at a jr-high school level, as so many films do these days. The acting is actually quite good, for the most part (again, a pleasant surprise). The, um, "critters" are well conceived, well represented, and pretty damned convincing.
The only real complaint I've got with this film is minor, and probably directly due to the budget limitations-- there's a rather obvious inaccuracy regarding the size of the statue of liberty's head-- you'll know what I mean when you see it.
Movie Review: Time for some shock therapy people...
Summary: 5 Stars
WAKE UP!
Just in case you were sleeping and didn't notice, I gave this movie five stars. Yep, that's right; I gave `Cloverfield' an A. I know what you are thinking. `He's crazy.' Maybe I am, but the truth of the matter is (and I've stated I rate each film according to genre as well as overall entertainment and artistic value) that for the type of film `Cloverfield' is, and for the type of film it makes claim to be, there really isn't much more you could ask from it.
I mean, honestly; what isn't right about this picture?
The film is crazy suspenseful, action packed, gripping, witty, enthralling, memorable; I mean I can't think of a single thing that I would have changed. The script may be a little cookie cutter but the execution is fresh and intriguing and adds layers that aren't there on paper. Visually it is superb, using the very underused `less is more' tactic in order to create true suspense and fear; and when it does insert CGI in order to give us some brief glimpses of this `creature' in order to validate our fear it is top notch. Casting a group of unknowns adds to the feeling of reality that sets in, which only increases the fear.
I mean, really; watch this movie in the dark and tell me you weren't pulling your feet up on the couch and checking behind you at every creak in your house.
The concept is simple; a group of friends get together to wish one of their own a bon voyage when the city is attacked by some creature and they are scattered. They travel together with a handheld camera through the city to rescue a friend who is injured and wind up documenting something unbelievable.
A little side note for those of you who have either complained about the shaky camcorder style filming or are biting at the bit to do so; DON'T. Listen, I understand you don't want to get sick or whatever, but the camcorder filming is the whole point of this movie. If you know that that type of filming doesn't bode well with you then don't bother watching this movie. Seriously, to complain about a directorial choice that is more than explained to you in the trailer for the film and that serves as the whole foundation for the film is rather ridiculous. This movie, stripped of that shaky frame, would not be the same film. It is meant to pull you in to the action and make you feel a part of it, and it does that very thing.
Anyways.
I admit, this isn't a thought provoking drama or a brooding character study, but it isn't trying to be. Sure, sci-fi or even horror films are allowed to stray into deeper territories and I encourage that wholeheartedly, but for a film that claims to be nothing more than a sci-fi thriller I can't fault it a thing. It is what it says it is, and it is really, really good at what it says it does.