By Justin Moore
A lot of the enjoyment in watching “Cloverfield” comes from not fully understanding anything about the movie before you hit the theater. Sometimes the slightest mention of even the most unimportant thing in the movie can ruin the movie for some people. If you are one of the aforementioned people, then please just skip down to the score. I won’t be mad.
The story starts out in a very laid back place, a surprise going away party for Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David), who is headed off to Japan for a new job. During the party, Rob’s best friend Hud (T.J. Miller) is tasked with documenting the party and well wishes of the party goers. All is well in the party, until something happens.
This is where the movie takes a dramatic dive head first into the action and the seemingly unimportant camera and seemingly unimportant Hud turn into the window which the audience can view the breathtaking events of the movie.
The Good:
“Cloverfield” is smart, there are a lot of little things that happen at parts of the movie that you have to be paying close attention to catch; sometimes these things happen in the background of those seemingly unimportant scenes.
While “Cloverfield” is full of its fair share of cheesy dialogue, overall Drew Goddard, the writer, does a good job with the themes of the movie.
The Bad:
“Cloverfield” raises more questions than it answers. This is to be expected from producer J.J. Abrams, the same guy who produces the TV show “Lost”. This will leave movie goers with an unsatisfied itch to know more. On the other hand, you could look at that as a good thing: “Cloverfield” leaves you wanting more.
The shaky camera work can make some movie-goers with weak stomachs sick. If you had trouble sitting through “The Blair Witch Project” then you’re going to have the same trouble here.
A cast of almost unheard of actors pulls together for an all-star caliber movie. Even though there was a lot of hype built up behind this one, and the shakey Handycam camera work can deter some people, the bottom line is that “Cloverfield” is a must see.
