Cloverfield (2008) Movie Review, Trailer, Film Still and Poster

USA 2008
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Michael Stahl-David, T.J. Miller, Jessica Lucas, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman, Lizzy Caplan
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: 16 January 2008
Running Time: 1 hour 24 minutes

The Movie Review

Cloverfield film still 1


CLOVERFIELD
Storyline:
Cast:
Ending:
Overall:

This movie is so Unbelievable....Unbelievably Awful!

Cloverfield tries to exploit the 9/11 incident to evoke bad memories of the New-Yorkers especially. It's good idea for the movie's sake, cause its job is already halfway done just like Red Eye or United 93, because people already experienced how terrible and horrifying it was. The movie cleverly chose unknown cast to invoke our everyday life as common people with our own problem and life.

It spends a good portion of time at the beginning of the film to let us know better about the people in it. There is Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) who is about to leave for Japan to work there, Rob' brother Jason (Mike Vogel) and his girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas) who throw a secret farewell party for Rob and the annoying close friend of Rob's, Hud (T. J. Miller). Suddenly the whole city of New York starts to shake violently which resembles a grand-scale earthquake. All New-Yorkers storm out of their homes and apartments only to find a big monster is leveling the whole city of New York.

In Cloverfield, we see everything (every-thing) through Hud's hand-held camera which was very confusing and at the same time clumsy. Gosh, even my nephew handles camera better than him, I totally get it if the camera was intentionally has to be shaken during the chaos or the running scene. But when they are having a party in a relax environment, does Hud really have to shake it so violently? So shame that a movie with a vision to make every little thing looks real, flaws at the very first start. The shaking of the camera was taken to extreme level in a peaceful environment, it reflects how pathetic this monster movie trying to convince the audience.

How am I supposed to be afraid or shocked or sad or shed a tear or even laugh if I can hardly see what is really going on? Black and shaking, shaking and confusing, confusing and sleepy...Yup. Good concept in the first few minutes of the movie to introduce us to the characters is so wasted, I couldn't feel sympathetic of what they endure, and the characters seem to be all selfish or mildly to say live in their own world. There is no chemistry between them. Although some scenes really successfully insinuate us, when even in the chaos people can still hold their phone camera and take pictures of what's happening, hopefully to upload them on the internet.

In conclusion, the plot is good, the concept is spectacular, the visual effects of the monster and the destroying of the building is superb, but that's it. It goes not an inch farther than that.

© iwan pranowo of Movielogy.com