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You've seen the viral marketing and those mysterious trailers, and been feeling the buzz building for months now. Now that it's here, does this Blair Witch-meets-Godzilla film deliver the goods? Find out inside.
Ever since the trailer debuted last year--you know the one that everyone thought was a drunk driver ad or something--the internet community has felt a steady buzz growing over J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield. In the absence of hard facts, fans began speculating everything from it being a Voltron film to it being something to do with 80s arcade hit Rampage. As more details emerged, it became clear that this was a hybrid Blair Witch/Godzilla film, showing a monster attack from the perspective of a few human characters. Of course, you can't say "Blair Witch" without being reminded of a movie that got endlessly hyped but ended up being more about gimmick and hype. So needless to say there was some trepidation about how the movie would turn out based on that. Would this film be all gimmick too? Was it a cheap way of not having to show much about the monster? And why was it being released in January, of all months?
Well, I'm here to put some of those fears to rest--Cloverfield rocks, and you'll soon forget all about the gimmick as you get immersed in what's happening onscreen.
I'll be honest, I avoided as much as I could of the spoilers for this movie going in. After all, the marketing shrewdly didn't give away everything in any of its trailers--a tactic that too many movies these days use and something I absolutely despise. There's nothing like being sick of a particular line in a film before you've even seen it.
Therefore, I'm going to try and tread very lightly, and give as few spoilers as possible. Believe me, you'll thank me for it.
I think it's safe to give away the basic premise for those who haven't figured that part out yet--the movie begins with a going-away party. There's some INTERPERSONAL DRAMA~! going on, but all of that is interrupted by what at first appears to be an earthquake. The partygoers rush outside to see what's going on, and from that point forward it's an almost non-stop thrillride as we see the whole thing unfold from the perspective of the main characters, all of them just regular people caught in a bad situation.
Really, I can't go too much more into the details without giving too much away. I can say what does and doesn't work, and give my overall impressions.
The idea that someone is filming the whole thing seems a little flimsy, but it's justified by one of the characters documenting the going-away party but deciding to keep rolling as the horrific events unfold. It stretches credulity from time to time, but generally the effect is so visceral that you really don't mind it. Because you're seeing things from the first perspective, it gives YOU a feeling like you're in there with them, watching everything happen from a limited vantage point. This gives certain scenes a lot more impact, especially when the characters are caught in the crossfire between man and monster.
The comparisons to Blair Witch are inevitable, but it's been 9 years now so the link is not as strong as you'd expect. The movie also benefits from the advent of Youtube and other video sites where anyone and everyone can share pretty much everything...whether it's worth sharing or not. It's grown into its own form of storytelling, so seeing it in action here doesn't feel as artificial as you might initially think.
Whether it's homage or just an accepted plot device in the "monster movie", there's always someone in need of rescuing, someone that tethers the characters to the situation at hand rather than sends them fleeing in abject terror in the other direction. In a way, this small human interest story against the big backdrop will have you rolling your eyes a bit, but because there's no way to really involve these characters in the action any other way, it's just one of those necessities. That being said, unlike those other monster films with tons of near-death experiences, death in Cloverfield is brutish, fast, and often unexpected. This is a big plus that keeps you glued to the action...after all, if you're watching a movie where the lead characters dodge death 20 times in various (and often unbelievable) fashions, eventually the suspense is gone. Thankfully, that's not the case here.
The special effects are very well done, and at no point do you get the impression that they've skimped on the effects budget. The whole thing has the summer blockbuster feel, and it does make you wonder why the movie wasn't released closer to the summer movie season. Really, there's only one shot in the film that doesn't work well, and it's the one that you KNOW is coming just based on the premise of the movie (you'll know it when you see it). The scene is very artificial in how its staged, and it was one of the few times where I was pulled back and bit and reminded "this is a movie with a gimmick." It kind of becomes clear then that the first-person effect has nearly overstayed its welcome, but the movie does end fairly quickly after that--it is in fact a surprisingly short movie for what is ultimately a very epic tale.
Honestly, the movie is more about spectacle, and that does start to make you wonder about the difference between a good movie and a good experience. Though I think the movie is smartly made and effective in its delivery of its narrative, I don't know that I would call it a good movie per se...it's certainly not one of the "greats" when taken in those terms. However, as an experience, it manages to deliver great thrills, a few scares, and a whole lot of 'splosions, always a good thing. You're kind of on a Universal Studios ride on steroids, whisked along from event to event that causes the main characters to cross paths with the monster and its destructive wake. I do think that this is a movie that MUST be experienced on the main screen, though...I think the flimsy thin story won't hold up as well on a small screen.
All in all, I give a hearty recommend to Cloverfield as something fans of the genre owe themselves to experience. Whether you want to argue the merits of it being a terrific film or not, I can say that if you let it the movie will grab you and not let go for its very tight running time. I can recognize the talent that went into keeping the movie so minimalist and avoiding the bloat and excess that went into something like 98's Godzilla...and honestly, the less said there, the better.
Well, I'm here to put some of those fears to rest--Cloverfield rocks, and you'll soon forget all about the gimmick as you get immersed in what's happening onscreen.
I'll be honest, I avoided as much as I could of the spoilers for this movie going in. After all, the marketing shrewdly didn't give away everything in any of its trailers--a tactic that too many movies these days use and something I absolutely despise. There's nothing like being sick of a particular line in a film before you've even seen it.
Therefore, I'm going to try and tread very lightly, and give as few spoilers as possible. Believe me, you'll thank me for it.
I think it's safe to give away the basic premise for those who haven't figured that part out yet--the movie begins with a going-away party. There's some INTERPERSONAL DRAMA~! going on, but all of that is interrupted by what at first appears to be an earthquake. The partygoers rush outside to see what's going on, and from that point forward it's an almost non-stop thrillride as we see the whole thing unfold from the perspective of the main characters, all of them just regular people caught in a bad situation.
Really, I can't go too much more into the details without giving too much away. I can say what does and doesn't work, and give my overall impressions.
The idea that someone is filming the whole thing seems a little flimsy, but it's justified by one of the characters documenting the going-away party but deciding to keep rolling as the horrific events unfold. It stretches credulity from time to time, but generally the effect is so visceral that you really don't mind it. Because you're seeing things from the first perspective, it gives YOU a feeling like you're in there with them, watching everything happen from a limited vantage point. This gives certain scenes a lot more impact, especially when the characters are caught in the crossfire between man and monster.
The comparisons to Blair Witch are inevitable, but it's been 9 years now so the link is not as strong as you'd expect. The movie also benefits from the advent of Youtube and other video sites where anyone and everyone can share pretty much everything...whether it's worth sharing or not. It's grown into its own form of storytelling, so seeing it in action here doesn't feel as artificial as you might initially think.
Whether it's homage or just an accepted plot device in the "monster movie", there's always someone in need of rescuing, someone that tethers the characters to the situation at hand rather than sends them fleeing in abject terror in the other direction. In a way, this small human interest story against the big backdrop will have you rolling your eyes a bit, but because there's no way to really involve these characters in the action any other way, it's just one of those necessities. That being said, unlike those other monster films with tons of near-death experiences, death in Cloverfield is brutish, fast, and often unexpected. This is a big plus that keeps you glued to the action...after all, if you're watching a movie where the lead characters dodge death 20 times in various (and often unbelievable) fashions, eventually the suspense is gone. Thankfully, that's not the case here.
The special effects are very well done, and at no point do you get the impression that they've skimped on the effects budget. The whole thing has the summer blockbuster feel, and it does make you wonder why the movie wasn't released closer to the summer movie season. Really, there's only one shot in the film that doesn't work well, and it's the one that you KNOW is coming just based on the premise of the movie (you'll know it when you see it). The scene is very artificial in how its staged, and it was one of the few times where I was pulled back and bit and reminded "this is a movie with a gimmick." It kind of becomes clear then that the first-person effect has nearly overstayed its welcome, but the movie does end fairly quickly after that--it is in fact a surprisingly short movie for what is ultimately a very epic tale.
Honestly, the movie is more about spectacle, and that does start to make you wonder about the difference between a good movie and a good experience. Though I think the movie is smartly made and effective in its delivery of its narrative, I don't know that I would call it a good movie per se...it's certainly not one of the "greats" when taken in those terms. However, as an experience, it manages to deliver great thrills, a few scares, and a whole lot of 'splosions, always a good thing. You're kind of on a Universal Studios ride on steroids, whisked along from event to event that causes the main characters to cross paths with the monster and its destructive wake. I do think that this is a movie that MUST be experienced on the main screen, though...I think the flimsy thin story won't hold up as well on a small screen.
All in all, I give a hearty recommend to Cloverfield as something fans of the genre owe themselves to experience. Whether you want to argue the merits of it being a terrific film or not, I can say that if you let it the movie will grab you and not let go for its very tight running time. I can recognize the talent that went into keeping the movie so minimalist and avoiding the bloat and excess that went into something like 98's Godzilla...and honestly, the less said there, the better.
SCORE: 4.0 out of 5.0
