Cloverfield Review

J.J Abrams is an exceptionally creative mind. As a big fan of his TV hits, Lost and Alias, I was thrilled to see how his talent would translate to the big screen. Though I was excited, I went in to the movie with low to moderate expectations, because after all a monster movie, is a monster movie. Boy, was I wrong! For a movie that can be easily compared to War of the Worlds and Godzilla, I was blown away.

The way the story is told is in a truly creative way, though I can't say it's the first of it's kind, with movies like Blair Witch Project, having led the way. The movie is shown as a sort of declassified government footage from a home video camera when Manhattan was attacked by an unknown monster. Using this format, Abrams gave his Lost audience something to smile about by placing the Dharma Initiative symbol during the opening credits.

But I digress. The movie cleverly, and effectively I might add, develops its characters through this film footage. The video was taken during a farewell party of Rob, who is moving away the next day. A sub plot is developed involving Rob and his then love interest, Beth, having an intimate afternoon. We see this footage as it is something that was previously recorded on the tape, that is being recorded over with footage of the party. Through the old footage, we see them interact and plan a trip to Coney Island.

The night of the attack, we follow the characters as their celebration is interrupted by fireballs falling out of the sky. This part was a little hard to watch as it brought to mind visions of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. As they walk the streets in confusion, we see heavy smoke from the destruction and the head of the Statue of Liberty rolling down the street. They go into a store where they see news footage of the attack. That is how the characters, and the audience, has any idea of what is going on. They try to escape Manhattan which is when we first see the monster coming out of the water and attacking the bridge. They retreat and Rob decides he wants to find his lost love. That takes them on a trek through the city where they come face to face with more monsters.

They try to escape through the subway where they find out, there are small dangerous creatures as well. They are eventually quarantined by the armed forces and almost escape in a helicopter before one of the monsters attacks it and brings it crashing down. The attack footage ends inconclusively with the surviving characters stranded in Central Park after the helicopter crash.

But the movie flashes back to footage that had yet to be filmed over, of Rob and Beth's trip to Coney Island. If you look closely in the corner of the screen in the Coney island footage, you can see something fall from the sky into the water behind them. This is the only clue as to what the monsters really were and implies that they came from the sky.

What I think is the beauty of this movie, and what a lot of people find irksome, is that nothing is explained. I love this because that is what sets it apart from other movies with a monster attacking a big city. The explanations are always ridiculous and contrived and make a would be entertaining movie, boring and silly. This movie treats the subject with such meticulous care. We find out just as much as we need to and nothing more. It immerses you in it because you feel and understand why the characters do what they do. You know no more than they do. And I imagine in a situation like that, while extremely unlikely, that would be the general feeling: confusion and panic.

The movie is clever and oddly touching while simultaneously terrifying you. The characters are lovable and the story is engrossing. Attention to detail and clever storytelling put this movie miles above your average sci-fi thriller.