Cloverfield

Rating PG13 Formats DVD Genre horror Starring Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman Directed by Matt Reeves Publisher Paramount

America now has it’s own monster movie. At least, I’m pretty sure that there were no other American-born giant monsters before this one. Whatever you do, repress your urge to compare this film to The Blair Witch Project. Cloverfield mixes actual human response to 30-story terror and out-of-bounds everyday heroism. Suspension of disbelief is crucial to fully enjoy Cloverfield. However, the big problems won’t come with the giant monster aspect. Perhaps the only weakness of the plot is the forced advancement structure.

Cloverfield is the story of five friends who are left reeling after a nearby explosion takes power out of Manhattan. However, the explosion is the least of everyone’s worries. Local news crews are getting footage of a monster from the deep that decides to take a stroll throughout the cityscape. Various escape attempts have been thwarted, and matters are more complicated when a love interest of the “main” character winds up being pinned to a large piece of rebar. Young adults dodge monsters and the military in an effort to save one of their own and, hopefully, survive Manhattan.

After you watch the movie, assuming you have not already seen it, your very next stop should be each and every featurette contained within. Well, every featurette except the alternate endings, which aren’t as alternate as billed. I am absolutely amazed at the large amount of footage that was shot on a sound stage. While watching the movie, it is literally impossible to distinguish computer generated buildings from real ones. The only things that seem unreal are the monster and his little monsterettes. Huge amounts of effort, surveillance, and model building went into Cloverfield, and it shows.

This was a perfect mix of writing and execution, the likes of which I’ve not seen in any film of this decade. The actors chosen were flawless where their respective roles are concerned. Reality and cinematics are combined seamlessly from start to finish. Panic scenes are not overdone, words are rushed where excitement prevails, and every syllable is articulate. Even with such a serious atmosphere of impending destruction, I am amazed at how the scriptwriters worked in bits of humor and levity here and there. None of it could have been pulled off without the synergy provided by the assembled cast.

Even though it’s a great achievement in filmmaking, Cloverfield is a movie you need to watch no more than once. That is, unless, you wish to see the film again with added commentary. If you sit down and pay attention, you’ll catch the grand gist of the film. There isn’t much “hidden” that you need to keep your eyes peeled for. It’s almost as if this venture is its own double-edged sword. It’s a film that should be seen, no doubt. However, afterwards, there is a large chance that the case will sit in a coveted position on your film shelf.