Review of Cloverfield (2008) by Doctor S — 11 Jul 2013

Tons of fun! This is a "found footage" film done right, putting you smack in the situation so that you feel like you've lived it. Cloverfield asks the question, "What would happen if Godzilla came trampling through your city?" We follow the answers at ground level as four 20-somethings go in search of a mutual friend trapped in midtown Manhattan. Essentially our eyes and ears are Hud who carries the camera, a guy who resembled in both appearance and personality what Seth Rogen might've been like at 19. He makes numerous funny comments along the way and his screams and exclamations contain the perfect mixture of fear and awe.

The production is first-rate, it really looks like New York gets flattened! Appears like it was filmed on location there too, with throngs of people running every direction in a panic. Very impressive. There is a fantastic scene where our foursome is caught between the monster and the army with its guns and missiles blazing on a narrow street, I'd be surprised if nobody got hurt. It's a scene which brought a big stupid grin to my face because THAT is what movie magic is all about, taking you someplace else to live in another person's shoes for awhile, and all I cared about at that moment was finding a car to crawl under. Many other memorable encounters occur along the way including a subway tunnel, the Brooklyn Bridge, and a collapsing building to name a few.

Worth noting that the movie doesn't start with this hectic pace. On the contrary, there is a 20-minute long (probably too long) opening at a going-away party, so don't give up if you're wondering when the stomping starts. Besides, the time spent at this party pays off later, when Rob regrets his final hurtful words to the unrequited love of his life Beth.

Cloverfield won't please everyone though as the monster usually appears in brief glimpses - after all, our characters are trying to AVOID it, wouldn't you too?? So if you just want to see a city destroyed by battling combatants, go watch Transformers instead. But if you want to experience all the fear and chaos if a sea creature the size of Yankee Stadium ran amok in your backyard, this is for you. Korea's The Host finds more humor and dramatic poetry using a similar premise so I rate that one a shade higher, but I can't name another film which has implemented their Blair Witch Project inspiration as thrillingly as Cloverfield.