Cloverfield (2008)

Cloverfield (2008)

Director: Matt Reeves
Writer: Drew Goddard
Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel
Cloverfield follows five New Yorkers from the perspective of hand held video camera. The movie is exactly the length of a DV Tape and a sub-plot is established by showing bits and pieces of video previously recorded on the tape that is being recorded over. The movie starts as a monster of unknown origin destroys a building. As they go to investigate, parts of the building and the head of the Statue of Liberty come raining down. The movie follows their adventure trying to escape and save a friend, a love interest of the main character.

'Highly entertaining disaster creature feature from Lost creator JJ Abrams, possibly the most inventive monster on the loose movie since the original '33 version of King Kong. Unlike Kong and most other creature features, its story is about how its core cast survives the overall disaster of a city being torn apart than about the creature itself. Made in the hand-held docu-cam style of Blair Witch Project (it has also been done recently with films like [rec] and Dairy of the Dead). It’s set in post 9/11 New York and follows twenty something Rob on the night of May 23rd. His friends throw a leaving party for him before he jets off for a new life in Japan. His brother and closest friend decide to make a video account of the leaving party allowing each attendee time to say something Rob will be able to look back on. Only things don’t quite go to plan as the party is suddenly broken up by explosions coming from outside. The party goers like the rest of New Yorkers flood out into the streets, not knowing what the cause of the chaos is, they decide to follow the mass exodus of central NY. Just as it dawns on the masses that they’re fleeing a gigantic creature of some sort and not as first thought an earth quick or terrorist attack, Robs contacted via phone by his life long love Beth to journey back into the centre to help rescue her. Its perfect thrill a minute popcorn nonsense if you can live with the very now feeling hand-held style camera work. I know it seems to be most peoples only real let down with the film or maybe all those stories of people getting motion sickness were faked as a clever marketing ploy? I personally find it a refreshing change even though it is starting to be a little over used these days. Already talk of a sequel in the works something I'm not so happy about as its ending was pretty good and conclusive. All the detractors say Abram's projects are always 'all style, no substance' speaking as a massive fan of lost and as someone who's whole family enjoyed this, I find his output is at the very least 'stylish and entertaining' which make it a cut above most in my book. Recommended'

(8 out of 10)