At the end of "Cloverfield" I heard a lot of moans and groans at the theatre. "That sucked" said one guy sitting near by. As a side note, sometimes I just don't know what people want from their movies, is it me or are they sometimes more happy with just a routine formula film. Anyway I guess "Cloverfield" isn't the kind of movie worth getting all worked up about. For the record I found it very enjoyable, the handheld camera movement was a sometimes distracting gimmick that wore out its welcome by the end, but I gotta say there were a few really scary edge of your seat moments."Cloverfield" begins with a going away party for Rob (Michael Stahl-David) while his best friend Hud (T.J. Miller) is video taping the event. But things are interrupted by the arrival of a very big very scary looking monster who invades New York City. While everyone is evacuating, Rob goes through the city to rescue his trapped on again off again girlfriend.
Other than the hand held camera technique, there isn't anything new or special "Cloverfield" brings to the monster movie genre, we still get a bunch of stock characters like the good looking hero, the damsel in distress, and the wise cracking best friend, along with some other characters who are there for the soul purpose of getting killed off. I did not get involved with their lives that much. But the reason to see a monster movie like this is to see the monster, but the film goes the "Jaws" route by not showing the full thing till near the end. What we do get are fragments and blurry visions of the beast as it devours New York. Perhaps that is what got most people so irate at the end, I don't know, personally I think that aspect works, it makes the creature more mysterious and frightening. But I think the most chilling points involve the monsters tiny off which kinda give off a zombie effect if they bite you...woops was that a spoiler?
"Cloverfield" is like a coming attraction for the summer movie crowd, and something to get excited about in the dull January release schedule, but from what I heard coming out of the theatre I could be wrong.
3 stars out of 4
1 comment:
I agree with your assessment-- it was a fun "summer" movie in the doldrums of January. I think the people who groaned wanted to be "cooler than thou" vis a vis the hype the movie's been getting.
GARY
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