Due to coursework and Christmas I ain't gonna be on here too much for a while
Due to coursework and Christmas I ain't gonna be on here too much for a while
Member since:07.04.2007
Reviews:152
Members who trust:92
Cloverfield is a film seen from the perspective of a handy cam. The first footage we see is taken by Rob Hawkins one happy morning in New York with his girlfriend Beth and the film follows their day together but this is interrupted as the tape is being filmed over. It’s some time later and Rob’s brother Jason and best friend, Hud, along with Jason’s girlfriend Lily, are arranging a surprise party for Rob as he’s about to leave for Japan. Hud is forced to video ‘goodbyes’ from all the party guests for Rob and documents the whole party.
Hud’s tenacious documenting captures Rob and Beth having a tiff that leads to Beth leaving the party with another guy and as the three friends talk things over and earthquake seems to occur…followed shortly by another. Faithful Hud documents everything as the party run to the roof of the building to see what’s going on and are shocked by a skyscraper not far off exploding. Confusion and panic ensues as they all flee to the streets and out of the building to what they hope is safety only to have the head of the Statue of Liberty come flying down the street past them. Hud captures the image of something enormous looming behind a skyscraper but can’t see much more due to a massive wave of dust.
The city is in a frenzy. Rob, Jason, Lily, Hud and Marlena (a party goer who Hud likes, although she looks like a Victorian orphan) gather together and decide to escape via the Brooklyn Bridge but things go from bad to worse as the bridge is destroyed. But already Rob’s motive is no longer escape, he’s received a desperate phone message from Beth and decides he has to go to
her as she seems to be in danger and his trusty friends go with him across New York to save Beth; as the army battles this huge creature and even lots of little ones as well (the little ones probably came free with the big one.)
What I thought
The beginning of this film will begin to bore you. It’s like the hour long wedding scene at the beginning of The Deer Hunter, long and seemingly pointless. The beginning of this film seems like some American reality show or some horrible self indulgent American vlog. But it does pick up and the beginning finds purpose in the characters that have formed from it. So don’t be put off initially.
Hud is this pathetically annoying guy and the cameraman from whose perspective we see everything. He captures as much as he can and the film is as action packed it can be whilst remaining completely natural. Natural being the essential attribute of the handy cam technique of story telling. The film does look real. Hud’s filming is notoriously shaky (and some people will have problems with this) He sometimes has trouble working the camera and sometimes doesn’t always point the camera at the action and we don’t get to see exactly what’s going on only hearing and guessing. It has an authentic amateur feel that adds that novelty natural aspect and gives so much to this film.
This is of course bolstered by the amazing special effects. Whilst the creature itself is not given a massive amount of screen time the special effects team managed a tremendous job on making it look real and unlike Godzilla and Jurassic Park they didn’t need it to be constantly raining to pull it off. The destruction of the city was also nicely pulled off and the scene where one sky scraper collapses eerily similar to the fall of the Twin Towers (however the straight down collapse of the Twin Towers was due to structural engineering faults - buildings shouldn’t collapse like that).
The film also cut from time to time to the original footage of Beth and Rob’s day out together that’s being filmed over. This furthered the idea of this being an authentic video tape that’s been found but is probably also trying to push the schmoopy-ma-poopy message of enjoy life while you can. However, I took something different away from it. From what I see all it does is show that Karma is a bitch. You have one really good day and look what happens Karma restores the balance by wiping out you whole bloody city and taking out most of its population at the same time. One hell of an ugly guy probably pulled way above his league on the 10th of September 2001.
I also think the actors done a nice job. Hud was never really seen but the character we heard most from and was annoying and pathetic and annoyingly pathetic but realistic and everyone else reacted like real people and the film wasn’t overly dramatised or over Hollywooded. None of the actors are particularly famous or have starred in much else which is a good thing as I think big stars would have detracted from this film.
Be warned though, this film is made by the same crew of people responsible for Lost and like Lost there’s no real end to this film. No satisfactory conclusion, it has no point and leaves a big massive loose end. But it’s entertaining nonetheless and has a big scary monster. Incidentally a big scary monster that really doesn’t look like much. It’s like it was designed by a child. It’s basically a 3D mess
Also quite a short film at only about 1 hour 20 minutes
Of Importance
“It’s a terrible thing” Hud’s answer when asked what the creature was.
Beth played by Odetta Yustman is hot. Like a healthy version of Megan Fox
Why does this kinda stuff always happen in New York? The new Godzilla, King Kong etc. I wonder what would happen if it happened in Belfast. Lots of wee hoods would throw fireworks at it. It would climb to the top of ….the Europa….maybe….and May McFetridge would look on from the Grand Opera House wondering why they made a mirror that size and put it on top of the Europa. The army would eventually come (the P.S.N.I. landrovers were on the way but got side tracked by an excuse) only to have the fireworks and other missiles redirected at them. But there’s no real big statue to mirror the Statue of Liberty in Belfast, unless it takes a swipe at Carson in front of Stormont, but if it done that then it’s clearly chosen a side and in a few months time there’ll be a new mural of the Cloverfield beast on the solidarity wall on the Falls. Or perhaps the rights of the creature to rampage about wherever it wishes will be upheld by the DUP.
Are you aware of Garfield?
Heads explode
Karma is a be-atch
Who I’d Punch
Without a doubt, Hud. He was so unbelievably pathetic. The way he tried to “hit on” Marlena and how he seemed so dependent on Rob. How many times did he say “Rob” in this film because that’s how many times I’d punch him.
Trailer
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi78774553/
Conclusion
I doubt I’m the first one to make this comparison but the film is Godzilla crossed with The Blair Witch Project, there’s no doubt about it and if you liked either film you’ll love this. On sale for around £4 new, it’s not a bad buy. Not a film you’d watch a lot. My own copy is actually a present and honestly it’s not something I would have thought of buying having already seen it in the cinema.
Written by Phelim McC. Don’t steal it, I’m watching you so don’t.
Pictures of Cloverfield (DVD)
That looks like nothing
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
Science Fiction - Director: Hiroyuki Yamaga - Original Language: Japanese - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Ayako Kawasumi, Fujiko Takimoto
Advantages: The CGI/special effects are fairly good, its quite atmospheric I guess Disadvantages: Characters, a mix of too many genres, just doesnt really 'work' (see review)
IzzyS 19.10.2008 (19.10.2008)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Cloverfield (DVD)
Advantages: Thrills, Big Monsters, Through hand held camera, looks more practical though a fiction Disadvantages: Disturbing images , not suitable for children
pallavi_171 27.01.2008 (27.01.2008)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of CloverfieldDVD
Advantages: I couldn't be too horrible and give it one star, it was entertaining Disadvantages: You want to love it but you just can't, and of course the humour
nathaninnit 02.02.2008 (02.02.2008)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of CloverfieldDVD
Are you the manufacturer / provider of Cloverfield (DVD)? Click here
![Cloverfield [DVD] [2007]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/79057871.jpg "Cloverfield [DVD] [2007]")
Oct 18th, 2009
exceptional by (14%):
very helpful by (86%):
