A long review of Cloverfield is entirely unnecessary. This is a film that, more than any other, is a what you see is what you get kind of film. From the marketing you expect a monster movie and a monster movie is exactly what you get. It isn’t told in the conventional third person sort of way as you see the entire film through a camcorder lens, but that just adds to its charm.
Cloverfield takes place in downtown Manhattan as we are introduced to a group of twenty-somethings celebrating at a going away party for Rob Hawkins. The interesting twist to the story is that the entire 80 minute running time of the film is told through the eye of a personal camcorder, originally intended to document the evening’s festivities.
We are introduced to our cast through a variety of relationship twists and turns just before a loud earthquake-like boom changes everything. You know what it is, I don’t need to tell you… but I will… It’s a freaking big monster and it has come to destroy everything in sight. On top of destruction and death the monster also offers a few other surprises that you are just going to have to see to believe.
Cloverfield was made on a reportedly minimal budget of $25 million, but thanks to the unique first person aspect of the film and the impressive monster effects you never feel like you are watching a cheap B-level monster movie, when in fact that is exactly what you are watching. The kicker is you are loving every minute of it, and how couldn’t you? I think the actual running time of the film itself is only 73 minutes or so. That doesn’t give you a lot of time to get bored.
The acting is on par for the subject matter. The violence pushes the PG-13 rating, and the small doses of humor used in the film never come off as stupid one-liners, they actually work. Drew Goddard’s screenplay is effective and director Matt Reeves guides the action in such a way that audiences aren’t left in the dark as to what is attacking, and any scares offered up are legitimate ones. There aren’t any miscellaneous bumps in the night as this film takes what the Blair Witch Project did to a whole new level. Imagine if you had actually seen the Blair Witch, and seen her early.
Suffice to say, Cloverfield is more than a marketing gimmick. Interest has been fueled online, but anyone interested in a good old fashioned monster movie told in a slightly different fashion should be able to have a lot of fun with this flick.
Oh, and don’t let me catch you complaining about the shaky camerawork. The folks in this movie are running from a giant monster, things tend to be a little rough under such circumstances.
