Cloverfield Review

Published by Jeff Leins on: January 20th, 2008

Months of viral marketing and an endless stream of Internet clues lead to a film that delivers on expectations and surpasses any comparisons to Godzilla or Blair Witch Project. If you’ve been keeping up with the guerrilla campaign, as Rob says into the camera, “you probably know more than we do.”

In case you missed all the hype, Cloverfield is a film shot from the prospective of twenty-somethings scrambling to survive an attack on New York City from a monstrous creature. What results is an effective gimmick that, once you simply accept it, enhances the realism of the experience. This isn’t a linear, spoon-fed account of the Manhattan destruction. There aren’t any scenes where the President slams his fist on the desk in desperation or a scientist adjusts his theories and his glasses. It’s a story about average Americans reacting to extreme circumstances.

A recovered tape is a record of the events, lifted from the military archives for our thrilling viewing. Unfortunately it wasn’t taken from a Steady-Cam because the herking and jerking of the hand-held camera adds motion-sickness to the list of real experiences. We learn what the characters learn and as they learn it. Which is a brilliantly original way to show a monster movie and will be talked about for years for its bold, fresh take.

The movie opens with Rob (Michael Stahl-David) operating the camera, panning over a luxury apartment, Central Park, and his beautiful bedmate, Beth (Odette Yustman). He’s recording these precious moments between the happy couple in her father’s expensive place, overlooking the thriving city.

Then it seems the tape has been recorded over with Rob’s going away party, a last bash before he leaves to work in Japan. We randomly catches glimpses of Rob and Beth’s day together, which not only remind us of what we’re supposed to be watching, but flash back to the intimate moments between two main characters. Holding the camera now is Rob’s best friend Hud (T.J. Miller), who provides the comic relief and the visual perspective. When Hud whips the camera around, we catch the same glimpse of the monster that he does.

The party is a surprise thrown by Rob’s brother Jason (Mike Vogel) and Jason’s girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas). We’re introduced to the various characters through goodbye messages and typical drunken drama.

But when the room quakes and the lights flicker out for a few seconds, the panic starts to set in. A news program mentions an oil tanker capsized inexplicably. A trip to the roof shows something in the distance exploding, flinging debris and fiery wreckage across the city. The crowd makes its way onto the street where the State of Liberty’s head bounces off a skyscraper and skids to a stop on the street. Looking at the severed head of a giant landmark, you can’t help but think or shout an expletive that wouldn’t make it in this PG-13 movie.

It’s also difficult to shake the veiled references to September 11th. In the chaos someone even asks, “Maybe it’s another attack?” Buildings are collapsing and dust is billowing down the street amidst confused and terrified New Yorkers. But to ignore the loose reference would block the element that makes this more real than science fiction.

Terrorism isn’t the culprit this time though as we soon catch glimpses of a massive beast passing behind buildings. It is just as producer J.J. Abrams and director Matt Reeves wanted it. The monster is just the backdrop for a story about ordinary characters reacting to an extremely extraordinary situation. By the end of the movie you do get plenty of monster looks, but it doesn’t capture a lot of screen time. They also added a swarm of parasitic critters that scurry and gnash after them when they’re away from the big guy. All of this is done with amazing special effects and perfect recreations of the city.

Since the camera is held by one of the fleeing friends, you feel like you’re part of the intense action, peering up at the towering creature. But you also see the up close faces of terror, hopelessness, confusion, and despair.

My only criticisms was the length, at a brisk 84 minutes. Not that I wanted it to cut to a scene explaining the origins or neatly resolving each story lines. But I just wanted more. Hopefully my stomach can take another churning if a sequel does actually happen.

4 out of 5.