Rating of
3/4
Cloverfield: Shaken and Disturbed
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/04/08
Once you get around the first-person hand-held camera perspective, Cloverfield becomes a very personal, highly effective horror film. It's a little shaky, but anything that makes you feel like part of the action gets the blood pumping more rather than less.
What starts off like any random party you've ever attended turns into a classic survival horror experience, complete with sudden explosions, things coming out of the dark and plenty of death. There is a lot reminiscent of the 9/11 attacks early on - especially in paper that falls like snow and dirt-covered people after a building collapse. I won't say it isn't crass, but it serves the purpose of bringing back memories that are more terrifying than anything Hollywood could imagine.
From everything that was said, I wasn't expecting to see as much as the "creature" as was shown. Needless to say, they showed enough to judge size and intent, but leave you completely in the dark on its origin (a fine way to lead to a sequel or ever prequel). The parasites were also done quite well.
Like any horror film, you do have to suspend your disbelief, especially at the complete indestructibility and longevity of the main character: the camera. If all hand-held camcorders were that good, they would never need to be replaced. Still, you wouldn't have much of a movie if the battery went dead at the best part or a busted lens made a nice crack down the middles of the screen halfway through.
The only other qualm I have is that the characters are barely fleshed out and hardly likable. When somebody dies you just don't feel anything much for them - even at the end. Still, for those weened on YouTube and camera phones, that's the way everyone seems now.
Overall, the feeling of being there and the suspense of what is going to happen wins out over the weak characters and standard horror cliches. I think this looks better on the big screen than it would at home (huge flat screen and surround sound aside), just make sure to keep some Dramamine on hand.
