01 - 18 - 08

Since Disneyland first opened the most recognizable motion ride in American, Star Tours, I have been loathe to ride any of them.  The first time was awesome.  Ever since then, however, I've been susceptible to the rocking back and forth with no real point of reference beyond the screen and find myself walking around dizzy and ready to pop for about an hour afterwards.  This weekend, I had a similar experience, but somewhat less displeasurable, after watching Cloverfield.

A lot of mystery has surrounded this movie given it's oblique marketing campaign and the shroud of secrecy enveloping actors, director, and producer alike.  The first glimpse of the movie was in fact one of the earliest shots: the shaky handicam trailer pasted in front of the Transformers movie featuring a party ending with the decapitation of the Statue of Liberty landing in the middle of the streets of Manhattan.  There was no title or rating, just the release date tacked on the end of the trailer.  Speculation was rampant and few details leaked out aside from the general premise and casting of relatively unknown actors.  There were rumors of Cthulu mythos, a remake of Godzilla, and even the outlandish assumption that JJ Abrams and Bad Robot were remaking Voltron.  The reality of it all ended up being a lot more interesting not in spite of, but because of the speculation.

Cloverfield is essentially an American Godzilla flick told from the first-person perspective of an average citizen caught in the middle.  In the modern era of self-publishing and micro-information, the presentation was perfect, albeit very disorienting.  I felt that was the point, to bring the viewer as close to the action as possible.  In a sense, it preys on the general feeling of a city on edge, but never feels like an exploitation.  Well, at least for me it didn't. 

The creature design itself is unlike anything I've ever seen on screen. Far be it from me to try and describe it, but I'd have to say it's best left experienced on the big screen.  You get a sense for how enormous this beast is, how vicious it can be, and the horror of the otherworldy.  As one of the character repeated throughout the film, it was a "terrible" beast.

What I wasn't prepared for - and was most surprised by - were the smaller moments that brought it from run-of-the-mill to extraordinary.  Matt Reeves, the director, spliced in taped-over footage featuring two of the main characters enjoying an intimate day together.  It was a small thing, but significant enough to make one more invested than usual.  In contemporary genre films, the wide shot is king.  Showcasing the expensive visual effects is primary, and I for one welcome the change from faceless bitmaps scurrying away like fleas to something more engrossing.

If I could complain, it would be for the erratic movements of the hand held digital shots.  Halfway through, I wasn't sure I could watch the entire thing without puking, and I guess the frenetic shots are intentional, but there could have been more steady shots for the audience's sake.  Aside from having to "cool down" post-viewing, I left the theater in stunned.  From what I had seen, it was a fresh take on an old convention and leaves as much to the imagination as it can.  There aren't a lot of answers, but I believe that's the fun of the ride.  As JJ Abrams says, it's the mystery of the box that's exciting, not the contents of the box.  For that, I will still be faithful in his work.

Overall Score:  4 out of 5 stars.