Reviews of Cloverfield

WTF?

Posted : 4 months, 1 week ago on 16 August 2009 06:49 (A review of Cloverfield)

What's wrong with everybody?
This movie was crap! I'm glad I didn't watch it on the theatre otherwise I'd have lost money in addition to time.

Pure crap.

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A four leafed Clover of coolness.

Posted : 1 year ago on 24 December 2008 10:29 (A review of Cloverfield)

"Oh My God, you know Superman too? Geez I'm feeling a connection... have you heard of Garfield?".

In New York a story that is centered on a Hand Held Video camera/DV type filming. A Group of people we see their lives until a mysterious creature attacks the city throwing everything into chaos...

Lizzy Caplan: Marlena Diamond

Well I was opened minded about this and in actual fact, it blew me away! Artistic license why a monstrous creature would specifically tear off the head of the Statue Of Liberty?
yet if you go with the flow it's pretty damn realistic.
The realism is it's strong point. The whole film due to it's different style is like going from the shallow end of a swimming pool, thus representing your normal everyday films then plunging into the deep end with this unique style and alternative method.
The whole angle of telling a story from this home video camera is a unique medium in Storytelling which i applaud.
Now the guy behind the TV Series Lost(which i adore!) J.J. Abrams is the producer. His imprint and style certainly comes out on this combined with Matt Reeves directing really churns out something unique.

The said creature is stereotypical yet effective, reminded me when i first saw it of some undersea mutation,also looking like something out of Halo or Silent Hill. It's little hybrids flaking off reminding me of the flood or nightly ghoulish entities.
There was some old memorable songs at the party bit which amused me. Was interesting to see into these people's lives which pretty much felt like an insight into their world.
The last film i saw that was like DV footage was Open Water which i wasn't overly impressed with.
Cloverfield pulls off this genre better than any other previous movie.
Like the series Lost J.J. Abrams has an ending and conclusion I'd notice anywhere which leaves more questions than answers hanging in the balance. That's not a bad thing it's something i admire due to the fact it adds a level of mystery and wonderment.
Cloverfield will leave your mind to make up it's own evaluation and will spark your imagination long after the last credit has died.

''You're not good enough for her. That's it. That's fact. That's science. Beth McIntyre is like from a whole nother planet, man. She's beautiful, she's charming. And you, I love you, but let's face it you're kind of a douchebag. And going to Japan is not going to fix that.''

Simply put, the film is an amazingly visceral experience. It's studio logo, production logo, film. No credits whatsoever, which just adds to the overall immediacy of it. If you've been following it to any degree whatsoever, you know that it's shot entirely with hand-held cameras. The characters also run. A lot. So immediately, I think this will be a love hate experience. My own reaction to it was that it again, added to the immersion, and I didn't find it to be really distracting at all. Many people I saw it with said they couldn't even watch the screen at times, so buyer beware. It also will anger those who need all the details, and need to have every loose end tied up (or even a majority of them). The entire film is the tape found after the events of the film are over. That's it. There is no set up, and no hold-your-hand-for-you resolution (or really, much of one at all). It's unconventional, and I enjoyed the ending. I definitely have to applaud the decision to not simply make a cookie cutter action film that is easy to watch. I think it will be interesting to watch how it does at the box office though.
After that...I feel like there isn't much that can be said about the acting, and that should be a credit to it. It absolutely feels like you are experiencing this with the characters, who feel more or less exactly like real people. After leaving the cinema, I was on edge for a good deal of time, as I tried to shake that level of immersion. The film has also surprisingly humorous dialogue, and I would say that our respective audience, laughed more than they screamed with terror glazed eyes.

Cloverfield definitely will not be everybody's cup of tea, but if you're already anxious to see it, I have no doubt that you'll be pleased. It was a relatively unique experience, and again I want to applaud the decision to make it in this unique way.

''It's like a nightmare! It's like a nightmare!''

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Something Has Found Us.

Posted : 1 year ago on 11 December 2008 09:47 (A review of Cloverfield)

A very good job was done (at least to my knowlege for the city of New York) at covering up exactly what this movie was about. Nobody knew what it was about; yet most the people I talked to wanted to see it. Something, could have been biological and/or supernatural, was destroying New York City in glimpses of clips in the commercials and advertisements. I remeber goign on a double date to see this on opening night, with a packed theatre and no choice but to sit in the second row of a stadium mind you. I would have sat there anyways, because that's the type of movie I knew this was going to be. Starting the movie was a going away party for Rob Hawkins, a buddy Hud filming on a video camera. Just enough drama and usual party antics to keep your attention on it then BAM! Just like that, the ground shakes and the lights flicker; as if the whole city shook. There's not turning on the news to find out what's happening, which I liked so much.. it's like your going with it as it happens with no time to do anything but try and survive and bare witness to the destruction of a city. Attempted evacuations made me jump when I saw the tail like object rise from the water and destroy a bridge (not sure if it was the Brooklyn or Williamsburgh) with one fell swoop, taking dozens with it. Not only the close seats and the fact that I live in New York Scared me and made me think; but the fact I actually had to go to Manhattan the next day made it all even worse, like a per video for something I'm gonna be marching into. Nothing was predictable in this movie to me because like I said, I went into this not knowing anything. Most of all, like in all movies, I'm a fan of a real, unhappy ending. If someone could save the day, then fine.. let them. But if not, Let's keep it real now. Not sure if a sequel is in the works, but as much as I'd like to know further; I don't think the movie needs to make any more of an impact.

Hud: Do you guys remember a couple of years ago when that guy was lighting homeless people on fire in the subways?
Rob Hawkins: Jesus, Hud! Maybe not the best time for this conversation down here!
Hud: Right.
[awkward silent pause]
Hud: I just can't stop thinking how scary it'd be if a flaming homeless guy came running...
Rob Hawkins, Lily Ford, Marlena Diamond: HUD!
Hud: I'm just saying. Sorry.

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Pretty Darn Good Movie

Posted : 1 year ago on 5 December 2008 04:49 (A review of Cloverfield)

i have to admit that I have never really seen the Blare Witch Project, and this is the first movie I have seen shot with this particular point of view and style. I really like it, it was a darn good movie, with a decent plot, relatable characters, and some awesome monster action to back it all up. I can't say how many times I was bet that this would turn out to be a new Godzilla movie, but it wasn't. In the end, I can see this becoming a classic monster/horror film, fit for any shelf that appreciates a unique experience in a movie.

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Good but not America's Godzilla

Posted : 1 year, 5 months ago on 10 July 2008 06:41 (A review of Cloverfield)

I was really young when I first watched Godzilla and fell in love with the monster and when I heard this was suppose to be the American version of a Godzilla monster so I got excited. Then I heard it was going to be filmed with just hand held camera ala Blair Witch and that excitement faded. But after seeing the movie the camera wasn't the issue, it was the monster.

The movie really starts with a farewell party in a New York apartment when a blackout hit and building shakes the partygoers head outside and notice a giant explosion on the other side of the city. As debris falls near them, including the head of the Statue of Liberty, the camera man captures a glimpse of a giant monster. The rest of the movie follows the 6 people trying to both find out what's going on and to escape the city.

Acting wise the movie is solid as the actors conveyed the sense of urgency and fear really well.
Sound in a music sense is nonexistent but that was okay as the sound FX's were great and the lack of music just makes the filming feel more genuine.
What really killed most of the movie was that it was filmed from the ground and the monster wasn't shown much. Now in Godzilla movies, Godzilla was the main protagonist and was featured most of the time while the Cloverfield monster seemed like a afterthought and so the film makers failed at what they said they wanted to do.

While the overall movie is good and would recommend to someone that likes monster movies to see and judge for themselves, I wouldn't recommend it for someone trying to find America's Godzilla as the film makers said it was.

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how crappy can it get

Posted : 1 year, 7 months ago on 2 May 2008 05:03 (A review of Cloverfield)

Cloverfield. New name for Central Park after some weird disaster happens. Not well explained in the film.

That said, the actors were lame. Lamer than I've ever seen in any movies - and I've watched a whole lot of them. They were lousier than B-movie actors, if that is possible.

The direction... was pathetic. Lousy. The camera was going all over the place, making it impossible to understand or figure out anything.

When you do get to see the "beast", you can tell it's very (emphasis here!) badly done. Not credible.

The dialog between the characters is unbelievably childish. No, let me correct this. Not even children would speak that way. I felt as if the script had been written by morons.

To avoid at all cost.

(Just because there was a huge promotional campaign about the movie, does not mean it's any good! This movie is just another "Godzilla in NYC". Useless.)


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Score based on feeling.

Posted : 1 year, 9 months ago on 5 March 2008 04:59 (A review of Cloverfield)

When I first heard of this movie I was really intrigued. The smart marketing campaign really got to me and I just had to see it. I caught it in a theater, which is really the only option to give the fantastic audio justice. A lot of people complain about the shaky camera style used in this movie, but I just love it. Evern since Firefly, Battlestar Galactica and especially Friday Night Lights, I have been in love with more realistic handheld camera work. I'm almost disappointed every time I see a shot from a crane or a standard stable shot. How we follow a group of regular people trying to escape this horror is just refreshing and fantastic. The slow buildup in the beginning is also great. The ending was quite sudden, and I'm ok with that. The only real problems I had with the movie was that the guy with the camera is Marmaduke in Carpoolers for me, so kinda ruined him a bit, and the short runtime. Usually I would have given it a 9/10, but I smiled for an hour after I left the theater so 10/10 is based on my feeling after watching it. I actually don't want a sequel since I really don't think it can be as good or surprising.

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Cloverfield

Posted : 1 year, 10 months ago on 13 February 2008 10:09 (A review of Cloverfield)

Filmed from the point of view of a handheld camera, this film charts the progress of a group of friends trying to make their way across Manhatten to save Beth, the girlfriend of one of the group, in the wake of an attack.

I don't really like these 'camcorder-style' films, they generally just annoy me and tend to look amateurish. I hated the Blair Witch Project, for example. But I was willing to give Cloverfield a go - and boy was I pleased I did.

For once the style worked. Seeing the film through the lens of one man's camcorder gave it a sense of claustrophobia and of having no idea what was going on that really upped the fear level. The scene in the underground tunnels was particularly scary.

Seeing only glimpses of the monster was another masterstroke, spoiled only by seeing too much in one scene near the end. The demons we imagine are always far scarier than those that can be shown on screen, and this is something JJ Abrams seems to understand, and to have used to great effect in Lost as well as here.

The handheld camera really puts you the viewer in the action. At times it's almost possible to forget that Hud is there and feel like this is what you're seeing. It makes the film seem more real than most other things I've seen. The cuts in the tape to a normal day in two of the characters' lives brings all the characters to life as 'people who are just like us'.

I do have a couple of criticisms, for one, would anyone really hold onto a camcorder that long? I'm not convinced that anyone would risk so much, even for the girl he loved, and that the others went with him is unbelievable. Also I'm pretty sure the military would have taken the camera from the group.

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Ambitious.

Posted : 1 year, 10 months ago on 3 February 2008 11:30 (A review of Cloverfield)

This is certainly a challenging movie to review for several reasons. First of all, it’s going to contain spoilers though I don’t think they should be considered “spoilers”. They’re more like logical steps in the story, but people may not be aware of a logical step in a story and be put off by me simply mentioning said events, so for the record: spoilers will be made. Secondly, it has an extreme amount of hype that comes with it, and a lot of times that causes some very decided, and passionate opinions about trivial things. It’s hard to look at these kinds of movies without falling into the nonsense, but I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job of doing this. I will say that I went into it thinking it was going to be horrible. From start to finish, the idea seemed very ridiculous. A monster attacking a city, the shaky handheld camera, the notion that it came from space, it all just seemed like ideas that were either purposely avoided, or overused, all rolled up into one big movie, and plastered to hype-posters with “mystery glue”. I have to say that despite my very low expectations, I was surprised at how good a movie could be with so many flaws.

The movie opens black with some text letting us know the tape was found in central park, so it’s assumed from the beginning that everybody dies, but it also kind of implies that maybe it’s all over and done with, but I’ll touch on that later. The opening is a party for a friend who is going off to Japan as a the vice president of some corporation of something we’re never told. My first thought was about how predictable Japan was for the distant place, as this is a movie featuring a monster attacking a city. It’s already undeniable that the most popular movies in the monster genre are Godzilla and King Kong, but going off to New York wouldn’t have made much sense. But it’s forgivable, because if people are going to poke fun at your movie by calling it Godzilla, you might as well beat them to the joke. That’s all beside the point, because the real issue with the entire introduction to the movie is that it felt fake. The entire idea behind the movie is to suspend your belief long enough to enjoy it, and while that’s totally impossible, you can at least be convinced of some things by means of great acting. This is where the entire introduction is lacking, as it’s obviously lesser known, less talented actors attempting to talk freely, act naturally, and not seem like they’re following a script. Fact is, they do, and I think it wouldn’t have been too risky to just have them improvise all the dialogue, except for some elements that would have progressed them into areas of the city, pushing the story. I could be wrong, but I don’t think it would have hurt the film anymore than totally unnatural sounding, written dialogue.

After the party goes on for a while, some of the guys are just sitting around, there is a huge noise, and most of the city loses power. It just happens, and for this, I give the film credit. There is no real build up like what you might expect, they’re just sitting around when it happens. They go to the roof to get a better view, and that’s when the movie really gets interesting. An explosion, massive debris falling on the building, lots of power shortages, lots of screaming and running, when they’re outside there is just nothing but chaos, and you’re never really sure what to think, what will happen, what’s going on. It’s just madness, and I have to give credit again for great special effects, because the movie really does a good job for what it has. The city really does look destroyed, and it never really has that “cartoon” look a lot of modern special effects have, and suffer from. Be it a destroyed bridge, collapsing building, whatever, it’s always convincing. My personal favorite part of the movie is a scene where they’re walking down the street and suddenly the monster makes an appearance, and a hail of missiles, gunfire, noise, tanks, army troops, and everything else. All the while the unfortunate friends are stuck ducking under cars and screaming, and it’s just so intense you can’t help but get very excited. What else is unfortunate, is that from here on out there are a series of scenes that feel extremely fake, only because they’re being filmed. I can only speak for myself, and I think I can vouch for the majority of my friends, but I don’t think I’d film people having to tell their mother that they their son is dead. But the movie is full of scenes like this, and it makes perfect sense in a conventional film, because there “is no camera”, we’re watching from a point of view. But in Cloverfield, there is a camera, and a very tasteless cameraman who doesn’t think it’s ever a good idea to turn it off, no matter what. Some scenes just don’t have that feeling like the rest, and it hurts the movie.

The cameraman himself was one of my biggest complaints. While I understand that in any terrible situation, you always have to have a sense of humor, but with a movie like this, and a situation like that, I simply don’t believe anybody would have the mental capacity to be cracking wise as often as this guy does. He must have guts and balls of absolute steel, and nerves to match, because just moments after escaping death, time and time again, he’s right on top of the joke department, and he’s always able to bring down the audience (me, in this case) from a place of suspended belief. This is just one of a few clichés that the movie has, and is ultimately why I wouldn’t rate it higher. It’s a movie that’s attempting to take most conventional aspects of filmmaking and throw them away, yet it’s filled with plenty of movie clichés that you would expect in any other movie, but get in this one too. I know a lot of people thought Hud, the cameraman, was a great aspect to the film, and was very funny, but I didn’t feel it. I’ve been in situations where I’ve been terrified, and somebody making a bunch of wisecracks and constantly doing their best to convince me they can’t take something serious isn’t my idea of comic relief. It’s just annoying. Granted, I’ve never been in a situation as bad as what these kids were in, and it might be that kind of bizarre defense mechanism, but it doesn’t come off that way. Instead, after seeing this movie, you might expect Hug to make a joke at a funeral, or be “that guy” to say “awkward” during an awkward moment. But that’s all set aside, because like everyone else, he dies, and if you hated him like I did, you can enjoy his death.

Now, this is where there is another problem that could have been easily corrected. The movie does a great job of hiding the monster, and I really liked that. You see pieces of it here and there, but it’s never really holding still, and it’s never clear, and it’s well done. Except for one scene where the monster literally just shows up randomly without any warning, and just sits in front of the everybody so it can be filmed nice and clear, and it even snarls into the camera. It’s obvious that it was done just to satisfy people that wanted to see it, and couldn’t handle the concept of something evil that’s never seen, and it seems really out of place. The entire movie does such a good job of making the camera seem plausible, meaning it never seems too convenient that everybody is there when it’s being filmed, except for this one moment. Up until now, the monster has been loud, fast, and followed by missiles and gun fire, but for this one moment that goes on for a long time, it’s just there. No warning or anything. The size also seems a little off. Before this shot, the monster seems huge, with a head maybe two floors tall, but here, it seems to be much, much smaller. Other than this shot, the monster is very well hidden, and the concept of hiding the threat for suspense works great. This one shot almost ruins it. And like all the other flaws, it’s forgivable because the action is great and it looks good.

Now, on to the last issue I had with the movie. I’ve mentioned clichés, and that the dialogue was poor, and none of them would have been there if it weren’t for this huge annoyance. Cloverfield is a love story, the monster is just the accelerator. The etire crew of kids are moving into the city, where the monster is, just so one of them can save a girl he loves. Of course, this is never advertised, or implied. But it’s there and it’s really the point. It feels like it might has been written by Bay, the same way his movies are loved wrapped around action. The end of the movie is something I won’t go into detail about, but it is cliché, and it does involve the lovebirds. It’s a disappointing ending, but satisfying all at the same time. I’m glad everybody died, and I’m glad the monster is never explained, and I’m glad that it ends with us losing. But I hate the characters, and how cliché their actions are, and how sappy it is. In a movie that wants me to play along, they do a poor job of creative realistic, believable people. But, all the negative aspects aside, it’s a cool movie, and totally worth seeing at least once. Just don’t believe the hype, don’t fall for the idea that it’s totally original, and unlike anything else, and simply a masterpiece. It’s not deep, it’s not a masterpiece, but it is cool. Overall, it seems that people either love it, or hate it. What you have to do is understand that it’s a well balanced attempt, and perhaps the first step in a new method of making monster and horror movies. The best thing it does is pave the way for future attempts at creative filmmaking, and that alone is more than I can say about a lot of other films.

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Pathetic, ridiculous, dumb - no words...

Posted : 1 year, 11 months ago on 30 January 2008 09:53 (A review of Cloverfield)

I barely can find anything positive in this film and I am trying hard - VERY HARD, in fact.
The choice of home video style shooting was rather annoying than interesting - it was sooo overdone, 'artificially home video' with plenty of non-home-video errors that it certainly didn't strike me as authentic, never, not even for a single second,... and the introduction at the beginning - prior to catastrophic events - was not only VERY LONG but also BOOOOOORING! Yes, I understand these are average, clueless American hipsters, fine let's get over it in 5 moinutes instead of 15-20 - ahh, you're right, that would make the movie just 1 hour long... ummm wait, what's wrong with that if there's nothing more in it...?

On the other hand I think animation and visual effects were actually fine (I work in this field), the problem was the artistic design, that was mediocre and incoherent, typical dumb-as-hell TV-styled crap... oh wait, the director is a beginner TV-series director (6-8 episodes in noname ones)... oh wait, his producer is his friend... ahh and the writer is an even crappier TV-series writer (episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer - yes, I'm not joking -, as well as Angel, Alias and Lost)...

After realizing the shortcomings of the whole crew it's not a surprise that as a movie Cloverfield IS an utter CRAP, no question about it - no plot whatsoever, completely ridiculous, laughable ideas all the time: they make a trip in the subway from the Downtown to Columbus Circle on foot - try that - while fighting raptors - and try that - and even some soldiers but, of course when they get to the building at Columbus Circle this not-yet-girlfriend is trapped in - skewered at her upper lung by a ~1" thick metal stick but still alive, mind you -, it's not only that this 50+ floor animal did not collapse but simply 'leaned on' the next building - you don't have to live here nor be an architect to see the idiocy here - but also they still have energy to WALK UP 48 FLOORS, CLIMB THROUGH AN OPEN ROOF TO THE TILTED SKYSCRAPER, PULL THE GIRL OFF THE GIANT METAL STICK THEN SHE NOT ONLY CLIMBS BACK WITH THEM BUT THEY WALK DOWN THE 48 FLOORS AGAIN - NOW TRY THAT!

I mean, PLEAHHHHHSE... is there anybody SANE PERSON left in Hollywood? What kind of worthless, pathetic CRAP is this?
This piece was written BEFORE the strike so I must say WRITERS SHOULD REMAIN IN STRIKE MODE - we hardly can get any worse than this utterly worthless crap called Cloverfield.
And please, PLEASE: GET RID OF THESE TV-SERIES BUNGLERS!!!

BOTTOM LINE: Don't waste your money & time - even basic cable regularly offers better choices. IT IS AN UTTER CRAP, period.

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