Cloverfield

Cloverfield

It is about a big f’ing monster that rips the crap out of New York.

Well, that is basic idea behind the movie. All filmed from one camera, the movie has a lot of down right creepy moments and some scenes are very disturbing. Style is definitely the master here.

While there are some major flaws with the movie, you can’t fault it for its original idea. The movie focuses on a group of characters trying to rescue a friend and get out of the city. Everything else happens behind the scenes until they get caught in between the chaos.

As I stated above, you get to see this big event happen from just some average people’s point of view. And, that’s what makes this movie stand out from many of the large monster/disaster movies from before. The single-handheld camera point of view does a masterful job of getting us to care about these people. Believe me, these people go through hell.

Rob Hawkins, at first, comes across as an annoying hipster douche bag. (It is actually mentioned in the movie!) However, once the shit hits the fan, he becomes a guy we want to cheer for. I began to like him for his show of humanity. We get to see how he handles himself when the attack hits him on a personal level. These moments are just magnificent. Unknown actor Michael Stahl-David should get some credit for downplaying some of the more extreme moments in the film. He could have easily gone over-the-top with his performance.

Even though I liked Rob, the person that just steals the movie is the very guy that has very little face time in front of the camera. That’s the guy behind the camera Hud Platt. Hud is the guy that brings up funny remarks when there are intense scenes. He’s the best friend that drinks a lot and tells your personal business when your not around. T.J. Miller is great as Hud and you’ll love his little remarks throughout the film. He certainly has his own arc and heartbreaking moment. I mean I really felt for him when that shocking scene happens to someone he knows.

The actual attack is shown not only from Hud’s point of view, but from a few news reports. And, one news report shows us our first glimpse at the parasite creatures. I loved the whole parasite subplot. Their introduction is probably one of the better scenes in the movie.

As far as the main monster goes, he’s big and rips apart the damn city. He’s pissed off and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. All his attack scenes are incredible and terrifying at the same time. You get glimpses of him early, but you will see him in all his glory later on. He’s still no Godzilla, but better than the revamped Godzilla from that 90s film.

While I enjoyed most of the movie, there are a few things that bugged me. I felt a little uneasy at the beginning thanks to the shaky camera movements. These movements can make you sick if you don’t have a strong stomach, but I got use to it. The lack of a musical score does seem to hurt the overall experience. I just felt it was another element that would have helped the atmosphere. The ending is rather weak too. It ends too abruptly for my taste. Plus, I would have liked to have seen more of the parasites and the big monster.

For a movie that tries to do something different in this age of recycled horror and chick-flick clones, I’ll give this movie a lot of credit. There are some truly chilling moments that will remind you of 9/11. And, there are some great character and creep-out scenes thrown in for good measure. Just don’t go in thinking this will be the best movie in the world. But, I still loved the movie.

Grade: B