Cloverfield: DVD Review (2008)

4/21/2008 Posted by Admin

“Cloverfield”

Shot on a hand-held camera, this frenetic, jittery movie follows characters running for their lives from a towering monster destroying Manhattan as if it were a house of cards.

For those who can stomach the jerky madness that ensues, they might find that the film’s first-person point-of-view actually amplifies the action. For those who can’t, motion sickness and headaches likely will take hold.

The movie begins with a surprise going-away party thrown for popular Rob (Michael Stahl-David), who has just been named vice president for an unnamed company in Japan (birthplace of Godzilla, natch).

But when an explosion rocks Manhattan and the film’s towering, vicious version of Godzilla is unleashed, "Cloverfield" starts to amp up the heat with mounting tension.

A scene that involves hundreds of people caught on the Brooklyn Bridge is the movie at its harrowing best. At its scripted worst, the film’s shaky premise can steal you out of the moment.

Still, since the whole movie is a stretch, it’s best not to look for logic and just go with it. "Cloverfield" offers scenes of gripping terror--and a few nice moments of surprise.

Read the full-length, unedited review here.

Rated PG-13. Grade: B

View the trailer below: