Where to start a review of a film that has been the subject of much attention and hype during final months leading up to its release?
Bigger that speculation about what the monster of the film would be the result, the hunt for clues viral websites, which “Slusho” has to do with the film - has been the question: After all the hype , will it be a great movie or a great disappointment?
So sorry to disappoint all negativistas but Cloverfield shook.
Will it win an Oscar or Golden Globe? Heck no. It’s fun and exciting to sit through? Hell yes. This is what the ridiculously weak American version of Godzilla that emerged a few years ago should have been.
The next review will be free of the major spoilers - to the point where I am not going to say, even if the images that have been making the rounds lately are accurate portraits of monsters or not. 
Cloverfield opens with a color bar pattern on the screen (which did produce some unintended laughter from the audience), but after a few seconds cuts and a government official saying the future title:
“Multiple sightings case of designating ‘Cloverfield’ camera recovered in the USA 447 incident site formerly known as” Central Park ”
Yes, this was demonstrated in the trailer, but as the film is beginning to impress you that this will not end well.
When there is cut from a digital camera white hand inside a very nice apartment high in the city of New York, it’s quite amazing (and I thought, it does not make sense). Here we met beautiful Beth (Odette Yustman), and the man behind the camera, which we presume to be her boyfriend, Rob. Rob (played by Michael Stahl-David) is the fellow to whom the farewell party is being pulled because of a new job as vice president of a company in Japan.
Since there seems to be that the person in charge of the camcorder likes rather burn anything and everything because people still walking on the streets of New York City and in the apartment of Rob being prepared for a surprise farewell party for him. We met with Rob’s brother Jason (Mike Vogel), which has been commissioned by his girlfriend Lilly (Jessica Lucas), with recording of “testimonies” of all guests at the party. Jason is not satisfied and managed to hand off the job to the best friend of Rob Hud, who at first reluctantly takes up the task. Eventually Skin begins to enjoy it as the night goes on and you get a little drunk while faithfully filming everything that is happening.
He also met a young woman named Marlena (played by Lizzy Kaplan), which has its eye on Skin, but it can not seem to weapons of value (or charm) to speak properly. At that time the public is finally getting absorbed in the total camcorder viewpoint, but it does take a while. The official opening of the Government of the film is not quite jive with all this material preliminary, but over time it does get to where he wants to keep the Skin recording because “someone should see this.”
As we all know now, is this part that all hell breaks loose and when it happens it is very effective. I encountered thinking of Asian horror movies, where until things hit the fan who can be incredibly trivial and almost boring, which certainly makes it a much more jarring effect when things veer toward the bizarre.
There is a lot of humor in the film, mostly provided by cameraman Skin (played by unknown TJ Miller, not much can be seen but whose presence is felt constantly). One thing I found amusing, in particular, was moments after the initial attack, where the head of the Statue of Liberty expires in the middle of a street in Manhattan, while some people are yelling and screaming “Oh my God!” A lot of people gather around the head in the midst of chaos calmly to take pictures of her with their cell phones and digital cameras.
I did not expect the movie to be funny at all, but humor is sprinkled throughout the film very effectively, in time to relieve the tension of what was happening on the screen. Cloverfield also has a much larger scale than I expected taking into account the premise hand, which show views of the city and shooting across the creature. Conversely, if absolutely HATE “nervous camera” style of the film I must say that this movie is not for you. Well, perhaps if you sit in the last row.
Now, when I say a larger scale, “are not going to wait for some mega-production … Although the effects are also effective, it is most intimate of a film in which the five friends to know and experience what goes through your eyes in real time.
Yes, 9 / 11 did not come to mind and yes, it makes me a bit uncomfortable. But what I liked was that in some ways it is almost cathartic (just stay with me here): As the people on the street that day did not know exactly what was happening despite the fact that witnessed first-hand, the characters in the film (and the audience) experience similar confusion in the face of disaster of a different kind here.
With regard to viral marketing for this movie: At the end, the final product fits perfectly. It really is a small film about a small group of friends with the occasional “big” scene here and there.
The creature is very cool and has a kind of H.P. Lovecraft gaze on him, and offered some surprises. The characters are credible, well-acted for this kind of film and that is extremely important, because if we do not worry about them you had nothing (cough, AVP-R, cough).
