You know, to further encourage people not to take my reviews too seriously (in the event that they don’t agree with me, of course) I should just name this segment “Arm Chair Film Critic” or “Arm Chair Film Maker” something to indicate I have too much time on my hands and too many opinions about things that don’t really matter. Anyway. On with the film!
My boyfriend brought this DVD (along with 99 other titles, and you think I’m kidding but, guess what, I’m not!) back from a visit home and he finally got me in just the right mood to watch it. I remember initially being curious about Cloverfield back when I first saw trailers for it, but by the time it hit theaters I was kind of over it. I knew that it had the swirl-shaky camera motion a la Blair Witch Project, but lucky for me, I don’t get motion sickness.
Synopsis: During Rob’s surprise going away party, a gigantic creature invades Manhattan and starts wrecking havoc. Rob bands together with a couple of his pals to try and survive. One of them has a camera and records the events as they unfold.
Acting Grades
T.J. Miller: A
Mill portrays Hud, our comedic camera man. He gets an A simply because he’s a Second City guy and improvised many of his lines (the wittier bits.) He is kind of an annoying guy, but a realistic guy, and one who totally grew on me. Not to mention, major props as he really did have to maneuver that camera a lot (not all of the time) and had to learn how to take direction as a impromptu cameraman as he simultaneously acted.
Everyone Else: B
Let’s be real; none of these folks are going to win Academy Awards anytime soon. They did the best they could considering the material, but it definitely wasn’t their “A” game. Lizzy Caplan is probably the most up-and-coming of the cast, and she did well for having a standoffish character.
SPOILER TIME!
NO, REALLY. SUPER SPOILER TIME.
Likes: It’s a clever, well-thought out movie with a pretty basic but relatable human interest story – love and survival. I liked that the monster was well thought out and that there was this mega Viral campaign to generate hype for the movie, all of which tied-in to the story. I love that this is not a deliberately destructive, malicious monster but a baby creature who has woken up and is simply wondering WTF, mates? The humans were actually smart and took the stairs – not the elevator – and shit got knocked around. That was fun. Cloverfield is an above average flick that held my attention for every second that shit started going down. I’m not a big fan of monster/alien/oh nos there goes the world films, but this one is definitely a cut above the rest.
Dislikes: I’ll be honest, I didn’t like that Hud, Rob and Beth all died. I also thought the beginning kind of dragged…but just as I vocalized this, shit finally started happening. I guess, in retrospect, I would rather complained about an extra 5 or so minutes than lack of character establishment. Oh, and I was totally not believing Lily and those damn high heels. Girl, rob the dead and get you some boots! That is but a quibble, though.
Cloverfield
Overall Story: A
Overall Execution: B+
Would I Recommend: Sure – so long as you do not get motion sickness.
Would I Buy: I kind of co-own it, and if we had rented it, yes I think I’d eventually own it. It’s not a OMGBUYNOW kind of desire, but I’d have put it on my Amazon wish list.
Can Your Mum Watch It: Only if she’s badass like that.
