The first thing you need to get used to in "Cloverfield" is the potentially nausea-inducing shaky camera work, which makes "The Blair Witch Project" look like the latest Ken Burns documentary. Audiences will have to make other concessions, too. While director Matt Reeves never bothers to explain why New York is being leveled by a giant angry who-knows-what, he makes time to insert an episode of "Felicity" in the middle of his monster movie, interrupting the carnage with a romance subplot that belongs on a second-tier television network.
But even though "Cloverfield" isn't the Godzilla-for-the-YouTube-generation picture that everyone may have been hoping for, it's still a terrific movie, filled with spectacle and a surprising amount of humor, which makes up for its lack of terror or emotional impact.
Produced by "Lost" and "Alias" mastermind J.J. Abrams, "Cloverfield" has been one of the more interesting experiments in large-scale guerrilla filmmaking. It was completed relatively quietly (for a movie that involves the decimation of this nation's biggest city) for a modest budget, then was introduced with a short trailer that appeared mysteriously - and namelessly - before "Transformers" in July.
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When a few cryptic Web sites related to the movie appeared later in the summer, the passionate sci-fi-movie-loving community pounced, analyzing every scrap of "Cloverfield"-related minutiae that was posted online. Perhaps worried about another "Snakes on a Plane," where the overload of hype diminished the box-office returns, the studio seemed to cool down the marketing machine considerably.
And it's a good thing, because when you get past the hand-held camera approach, there isn't a heck of a lot to this movie that you haven't seen before. Many of those online "clues" appear to be red herrings. If you've watched "Starship Troopers," that bad Matthew Broderick "Godzilla" movie and any episode of "Dawson's Creek," you won't be surprised by the plot developments or creature design in this movie. In addition, Reeves and writer Drew Goddard chose to ignore "Blair Witch's" the-less-the-audience-sees-the-scarier-your-movie-gets lesson, and they show every angle of the Great Evil in the first half of the film, which significantly dilutes the scare factor.
Producer J.J. Abrams teams with writer Drew Goddard and director Matt Reeves for this frenetic tale of a powerful destructive force that descends upon New York City, and the four desperate people who put their lives on the line to embark on a perilous rescue mission. Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) is a young American professional who has recently been offered a coveted new job in Japan. Eager to send his older sibling off in style, Rob's younger brother, Jason (Mike Vogel), and his girlfriend, Lily (Jessica Lucas), organize a surprise going-away party to take place the night before Rob boards his Eastern-bound flight. As the party gets underway, Rob's longtime friend and current love interest, Beth (Odette Yustman), shows up with another man as the dejected guest of honor's best-pal Hud (T.J. Miller) encourages partygoer Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) to wish him an on-camera farewell despite the fact that they barely know one another. Moments after Beth storms out following a bitter skirmish with Rob, the entire New York City skyline goes dark. Power is quickly restored, prompting partygoers to turn their attention toward the news, where they learn that a freight tanker has been overturned in New York Harbor. Racing to the rooftop in hopes of getting a better look at the situation, the group is terrified to witness a massive explosion that rains debris across midtown Manhattan, causing mass chaos and unparalleled destruction. But the worst is yet to come, because it soon becomes apparent that this is not the work of a terrorist or an act of war, but a massive creature beyond human comprehension. Now, as the military moves in and the streets of New York City become a virtual war zone, Rob, Lily, Marlena, and Hud race to rescue Beth and get out of the city before the powers that be unleash the ultimate weapon of mass destruction on one of the most populated cities on the planet. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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