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 Rated: PG-13
Starring: Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Cloverfield, a
rapid action monster flick, provides a fast acting adrenalin rush that had me
glued to the screen from start to finish.
The unique style of the filming affords a first-hand view of all the
incredible destruction and mayhem. Cloverfield
is extremely well done, but not for everyone.
The film is best enjoyed by teens and twenties who love their action up
in their face and relentless.
On the eve of his departure for
Japan, Rob (Stahl-David) sees his going-away party as an opportunity to
confess unresolved feelings and tie up loose ends. His agenda takes an
unexpected turn when a jolt shakes the revelers. The crowd quiets down to watch
news reports of an earthquake, then rushes to the roof to assess the damage. A
fireball explodes on the distant horizon. A power failure follows. Confusion gives
way to panic as the partygoers stumble through the blackout and into the
streets. Amid the human screams and one
inhuman roar, Rob and his friends must traverse a landscape that has changed,
overtaken by something otherworldly, terrifying, monstrous…- Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures'
description of Cloverfield is accurate, with enough information to lay
out the plot. Actually, there isn’t much
more to the actual story as there really is no need for further plot
points. What you have here is a unique
movie that gives you a first-hand view of a disaster.
It is like
you are watching a monster flick, but you're not missing all the real action
within the action. For example, in the
film Godzilla, like most everyone I followed the plot as the giant monster crushed through downtown Manhattan with the camera moving from
Godzilla to what the main actors were doing to escape the huge beast. Well, what was going on with the people when
the buildings came crashing down and all the mayhem was going on?
This is 24 hours of running, climbing,
fighting, clawing and jumping, and as if you caught the catastrophe on your
amateur home digital camera. It made me
feel like I was going head on into the bedlam in an attempt to save my life and
those of friends. It’s a cool flick that
I for one will go see again.
WARNING: The
camera filming the action is constantly moving with Hud (Miller) as he
runs with his group of friends, so for realism the movie gets shaky and bouncy
and sometimes even loop-de-loop, if you know what I mean. For those that have a hard time focusing on
this type of camera movement, you may want to take your motion sickness
prevention before going to the film.
The
violence in Cloverfield may be a little gruesome at times and the
monster may be a little creepy, but it’s all part of being caught up in the
moment.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Cloverfield is a violent and
relentless action film that most teens to twenties and action film buffs should
enjoy.
This Reviewer's Rating:   4 / 5
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