Rating of
4/4
Review - Cloverfield (2008)
Delorted - wrote on 01/21/08
Since 1933 and the release of “King Kong,” people have been fascinated by giant creatures destroying cities. In 1954 things got even more interesting with a giant lizard named Godzilla attacking Tokyo, Japan. In 1998, an American named Roland Emmerich decided to make his own Godzilla movie, with the creature attacking New York City, but nobody really liked his vision, and the monster was even killed off by the Japanese in “Godzilla: Final Wars.” Since then, we haven’t had much going on in the field of giant monsters, but last year J.J. Abrams, creator of television series “Lost,” decided America needed its own, more original monster. Thus, on January 18, 2008, his vision became a reality.
“Cloverfield,” broadcast as a federal case file composed of a video tape found after the disaster, starts at a going away party for Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David), during which the monster attacks the city, taking out every building and person in its way. Now Rob and his friends Marlena Diamond (Lizzy Caplan), and Hud Platt (T.J. Miller), who’s filming the whole thing, are trying to just survive the attack while also trying to find their other friend Beth McIntyre (Odette Yustman).
The scariest thing about this movie is that it makes you believe it could really happen. The first-person view throughout makes you feel like you’re right there in the action. Think “The Blair Witch Project” only with a monster and more interesting characters. The camera movements are a bit sloppy at times (on purpose), so it’s not a movie for people who get motion sickness. They actually passed out paper bags in the theater because people were getting sick. They looked at it as a problem, but I say any movie that can physically harm you has to be good.
What I was really surprised and yet not surprised about was the acting. This had to have the most natural acting I’ve ever seen in a movie. I’m not surprised because again, it’s from the creator of “Lost,” which has some of the best television acting around. I kind of wish Abrams had actually directed, but as executive producer I have a feeling it was his baby all along.
“Cloverfield” starts off running and doesn’t stand still until the very end. It keeps you on the edge of your seat as you go through everything the characters go through. Finally, when it’s all over, you will believe in monsters, and you will be afraid.
Acting: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
Video/Editing: 9/10
Audio/Music: 10/10
Entertainment: 10/10
Final Score: 9.8/10
