Cloverfield – English Movie Review
Published on Feb 14 2008

According to reference.com, Hype is defined as creating interest in by flamboyant or dramatic methods; promote or publicize. Creators of “Cloverfield” certainly created hype by withholding what the monster, if there is one, looks like and many story details. Well, the mystery sure sucked me in and did build a little excitement going into the movie. “Cloverfield” had some exciting moments and held my attention for the duration of the movie. Director Matt Reeves and Writer Drew Goddard gave nothing away even in the title of the movie, “Cloverfield”. The pair did a masterful job of hype and created pretty good movie in the process.

A short plot synopsis is in order in this case to not give too many details away. Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) takes a job in Japan and his brother, Jason Hawkins (Mike Vogel) and his girlfriend Lily Ford (Jessica Lucas), throw him a going away party. Attendees include his love interest, Beth McIntyre (Odette Yustman) and their annoying but lovable friend, Hud Platt (T.J. Miller). During the going away party all hell breaks loose in New York City and the small band of party goers try and survive (the rest will have to be seen).

Alright, many comparisons will be made to the one and only, “The Blair Witch Project”. It is no surprise that the story is told in first person through a video camera. Whatever brand camera they are using should be revealed, because it is the toughest camera I have ever seen. “Cloverfield” is shot on a much larger scale than Blair Witch and takes on a completely different look. “Cloverfield” shows many more panoramic shots of the surroundings rather than the very close filming for the entire movie in Blair Witch. Viewers should get a completely different experience watching “Cloverfield” over Blair Witch.

Overall, “Cloverfield” is entertaining and original in many respects. Matt Reeves slowly introduces elements into the film and builds upon them which helps keep the interest going throughout the film. As the reign of destruction hits the city, it is a good bit of time before the viewer actually knows what is going on just as the characters in the movie. “Cloverfield” is brilliant in that aspect, however, it takes a while to set up the characters and get into the action. A whole story line between Beth and Rob needs to develop to have the latter part of the movie make any sense. It takes a while to get there, but the payoff is worth it when it does. I understand why Goddard wrote the story that way, but it takes just a bit away from the movie.

Cinematography wise, the “Cloverfield” is pretty amazing. Numerous destruction scenes look very good and can be quite disturbing to the viewer. In order to capture the craziness and frantic action the camera is shot at all angles and makes for a herky-jerky visual experience. At times, it can be a little much, but the action that surrounds it makes up for the frenetic camera angles.

Goddard leaves enough mystery in the movie when it comes to the origins of the threat. What is Cloverfield? Is it Aliens? Is it a government experiment gone wrong? Is it a genetic mutation? Has it been hiding on Earth for millions of years? Viewers must use their imagination to figure out what is going on which is a refreshing change. Usually, plots are spoon fed to viewers and explanations are given why Godzilla, Mothra, King Kong, or the technically superior aliens from “Independence Day” wreak havoc on mankind.

As for the cast, no big names are seen in this production. Having no Colin Ferrell or Bruce Willis, playing John McClane of course, actually adds to “Cloverfield”. However, I think John McClane could take down any of the alleged monsters. Could it be Die Hard V, perhaps? Seriously, Michael Stahl-David puts in a good performance and some comic relief is had by T.J Miller, who plays Hud. Hud is the equivalent to Shaggy in the Scooby-Doo cartoon series.

Cast & Crew:

Genre: Action, Thriller
Starring: Mike Vogel, Jessica Lucas, Lizzy Caplan, Michael Stahl-David, Odette Yustman,
Director: Matt Reeves
Producer: Bryan Burk, J.J. Abrams
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Writer: Drew Goddard

Verdict: “Cloverfield” is super hyped and could be claimed almost a gimmick, but despite all of the pre-release mystery it is an exciting and entertaining experience.