As a reviewer, I am torn. Do I describe Cloverfield as this year’s Snakes on a Plane, or do I announce it as the Blair Witch Godzilla as it storms to number one on its opening weekend? Certainly, it has elements of both–low viewer expectations as to quality and a huge internet hype just like Snakes, but the monster-movie and first-person documentary qualities of those other two films. Fortunately, the only thing I have to decide is whether or not to tell you to see Cloverfield, and I’m more than capable of doing that. It’s a film that definitely makes an impression, and it isn’t for everyone–to find out if it’s for you and your hard-earned money, keep reading below, spoiler-free!

First, let it be known that there’s a pretty lengthy list of things you should and shouldn’t expect going in to see Cloverfield, and that may strike you as a bit unfair, but honestly it’s for your enjoyment, or to save you your money. If you get motion sick easily, or even not so easily, your experience will be quickly compromised. Cloverfield is filmed in a first-person perspective that rivals the worst home movies. The action is in-your-face, intense, and similar to a theme park ride. Your seat may not be moving, but the in-theater experience is one that is worthwhile but only if your stomach can handle it.

You also shouldn’t expect the film to break character for your sake as a viewer. Cloverfield is immersive, and you’ll never get an explanation as to why exactly there’s a monster attacking New York or where it came from. You know what the characters know and see what the characters see in real time. That’s not to say you don’t get to see the monster itself, on the contrary, there’s plenty of it and it’s quite impressive. Cloverfield is a film with plenty of intense action and solidly paced storytelling, but it’s short on answers.

Perhaps the weakest point of Cloverfield is its characters. They do their job effectively enough, but don’t expect to see any names from the cast turning up at major awards ceremonies. To be frank I had trouble telling some of the characters apart or remembering the familial and romantic relationships between them, and even when I could finally tell who was who more often than not they weren’t terribly likable. Still, the characters react like you might expect people in their situation to under pressure–they stave off panic with humor (some actually quite well-received in my own theater) and just keep moving.

I should perhaps note that the premise, while it works great for the film, is sufficient for its length, but in my opinion doesn’t have much juice after that. With Cloverfield just having finished its first weekend, and discussion of a sequel already bouncing around, I have to admit I loved the concept and execution for one film but would be even more skeptical of a second film than I was of the first. The cast travels all over Manhattan over the course of the film, in a manner reminiscent of a number of zombie horror films, and though they do have a purpose and the wandering isn’t just random it does seem like the writers asked, “how would the characters be affected in a subway/street/military quarantine zone?” and then strung them together.

The driving force behind the film is the monster itself, and as I’ve said before, it’s very impressive. You only get glimpses of it at the beginning, but by the end of the film will have seen it both up close and in its entirety. It’s plausible and frightening looking, and the senselessness of the film–both the monster and the military trying to kill it–only make it scarier. After the first rumbling of the monster, you truly have no real idea when and where it’s going to show up, so when the camera pans and you see it off in the distance and headed towards you–or, towards the characters, but for me, it was very much a sinking feeling whenever I saw it headed towards the camera–it’s a kick it the gut.

Perhaps my review doesn’t get at my actual feelings about the film–I thought it was spectacular. The presentation thrives off of a story that’s never explained in whole, that jumps minutes ahead at a time, that’s populated by characters who don’t truly know what’s going on and that has danger lurking around every corner. A couple of stock scares can’t mar the fact that Cloverfield as a whole is fresh and tightly presented, and is a true thrill ride for almost its entire duration. At times funny, at times sad, and harrowing for almost the full hour and a half, my expectations were exceeded and I truly enjoyed the ride. Many of those around me also did, as I think they entered with similar expectations–be prepared to hold on to your seat, be prepared to get more questions than answers, and don’t eat a large meal right beforehand.

Maybe when it finally comes out on DVD I’ll talk spoilers, but honestly, the in-theater experience of Cloverfield is one that can’t be replicated, so if you do want to see the film I’d advise going now while it’s in theaters.

I give it four out of five Meultima units.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 21st, 2008 at 9:13 pm and is filed under Movies, Reviews.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.