When Rob found out that he was going to Japan he knew that leaving Manhattan and Beth behind would never be easy. However what he didn't know was that it would be something besides his inner emotions that would ultimately force his to stay. But after receiving a farewell party by some of his closest friends, Manhattan comes under attack by the most inhumane creature to ever walk the streets. Told from the point of view of their video camera the group attempts to stick together as they try to survive the most horrific, detrimental event of their lives.
Filled with timely humor, amazing special effects and a style and sense that will cause every nerve in your body to tingle, Cloverfield has it all and serves as a friendly reminder that some films are truly capable to live up to the hype.
First off I have to talk about this film's hype. Introduced to the world last July before the summer blockbuster The Transformers, the teaser trailer didn't even contain a title as the public went into a frenzy trying to discover both the title and premise. Now, over six months later the film has finally hit theatres, and luckily for fans it actually delivers.
If there was one place that Cloverfield could have suffered it would have been its creativity and style. Taking lessons from the cult favorite Blair Witch Project the entire film is shot with a mobile video camera, catching every event and emotion at eye level as it creates a sense of awareness and presence to the viewer. Though this "˜shaky' scheme may deter some movie-goers I do have to say that it was needed to bring a raw, realness to the film "“ helping to classify the film as a soon to be classic rather than a normal, run of the mill monster story. The handheld camera delivery also helped bring intensity, anticipation and pure adrenaline to the feature, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the film's entirety.
In addition the film's underlying humor really helped propel its overall status as J.T. Miller served as both the camera guy and the comedian as he delivered impeccable one liners "“ one after the other. Though many may feel that the comedy is out of place it is this simply characteristic that brings a true feeling to the feature as personalities surface. For once you feel like you are one with the actors, right beside them as they experience what could be the last night of their lives.
Lastly I want to address the special effects. Turning Manhattan into a "˜battlefield' is no easy task; however for this film it was done brilliantly. From the famous, headless Statue of Liberty to the crumbling of building after building to the toughest job of all "“ creating a creature as terrifying as the hype, the special effects team did an amazing job as their work was both realistic and frightening, creating nightmares for many years to come.
In the end the film was a brilliant work of art, one that should not be missed by any action or film fan and one that will surely go down as a true classic "“ to be watched by and scare the crap out of our children's children and on down the line, never ceasing to make its mark on film culture.
