"Sure, it plays into our post-9/11 fears of being under attack but done in a subtle way that it does not detract from the suspense of a stupendous monster movie"
There is one key aspect to the monster movie: the monster, of course. Is he scary? Does he have an unmatched power? Can he utter a terrifying howl? Is he able to move at a speed that seems like slow motion but everything else is moving at a normal speed? Above all, is he strong enough to carry a story?
In "Cloverfield," the answer to all of the above is a resounding yes.
Shot from the perspective of a handheld camera in New York City, "Cloverfield" opens with a surprise party being held for Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David), who is leaving for Japan in the morning as the new vice president of the company he works for. At the party is Rob's brother Jason (Mike Vogel), Jason's girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas) and friend/cameraguy Hud Platt (T.J. Miller), among a vast amount of others.
Arriving fashionably late-and with another man-is Rob's best friend and love-of-his-life Beth McIntyre (Odette Yustman). After a brief fight about her escort to the party, Beth storms out of the party, leaving Rob depressed and angry.
Suddenly, a massive tremor shakes the apartment building from the ground up. Making their way to the roof to check out the situation, a massive explosion occurs in downtown, and, as they flee the building a large object comes barreling down onto the street: the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty. As his friends struggle to make it out of the city alive, Rob is set on making his way to Beth.
Slowly, each new glance of the situation reveals a gigantic monster that has come to terrorize and destroy the city. Tearing through the streets, the creature releases smaller "things" that run around like giant spiders biting and clawing at human prey. All the while, the military uses every available soldier, gun, tank and missile launcher to bombard the monster-which could be of their creation.
It may be a clichéd claim, but "Cloverfield" is very much "Godzilla" meets "The Blair Witch Project." While there are some who found "Blair Witch" to be silly and stupid, don't let the comparison stop you from seeing this, the creation of a new monster movie genre: the socially conscious monster. In our post-9/11 world, it is shocking to see a movie showcasing the attack of New York City. It is even more shocking that a monstrosity of our own government's making is causing the terror.
Wait, wasn't that shown in "Charlie Wilson's War," too?
We gave money, arms and training to Afghan freedom fighters during the Cold War, but turned the other cheek when it came time to rebuild Afghanistan. One of those fighters used the weapons and training against us: Osama bin Laden.
"Cloverfield" plays right into the anxieties many Americans feel regarding attacks against our country, and it does so in an overt, conspicuous manner. And nothing is more shocking to our country than to see the symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty, standing there in the dark with no head.
With the cast of relatively unknowns, the film truly helps generate the realism necessary for this to pass off as an evidence tape of the Department of Defense. It opens with a time stamp and watermark saying "Property of U.S. Government - Do Not Duplicate"-are they really pushing for anti-piracy of this film? Producer J.J. Abrams (creator of "Alias" and "Lost") and director Matt Reeves really crafted a thrilling motion picture, the first great on of 2008.
That withstanding, "Cloverfield" is a terrific movie, a fine entertainment experience that is both suspenseful and shocking, a monstrous achievement of terror and social anxiety.
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"Cloverfield reminds me of the haunted house attractions I would go to as a kid. You essentially get strapped into a rickety old metal cart with a fraying seatbelt that has you feeling less than safe and sound. It's pitch black and all you can hear are the horrible moans of whatever is lingering in the dark. Cold mist splashes your face, and suddenly the ride picks up speed. It's now you realize you have no control over your fate - you're riding the rails at breakneck speed, and all you can do is hold on." ByAdam Frazier
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