Cloverfield

Okay, so basically this movie is "Godzilla" mixed with "The Blair Witch Project" and it is a very fun, scary, funny, sad and exciting. The lead character, Josh I think his name is, has received a lucrative job in Japan and his friends are throwing him a farewell party at his apartment. One of his friends is filming people's good luck wishes and the party, the entire movie is from this cameras point of view. During the party a giant monster attacks the city, sending the Big Apple into chaos. Josh and a few others try to get out of the city and the friend decides to put the camera to use and document everything they run in to.

This is the most original and realistic monster movie to date. This is what would really happen if a giant monster attacked New York City. Some of the scenes of New York getting trashed will definitely remind you of 9/11, with clouds of smoke and rubble from a collapsed building chasing people down the street, people covered in white and gray dust. So keep that in mind if you don't want to be reminded of that. The camera work didn't bug me at all but I can see how it might make some people a little woozy. But the action and suspense are very well crafted, they must have spent a lot of time deciding what the camera would and wouldn't see. There's a great balance of seeing things and not seeing things, so sound fx and you're imagination create a lot of the suspense, which is very effective. You only get a good look at the big monster once or twice, and those are very breif. You'd think that would be annoying, but it actually works out great. You definitely get attached to the characters which makes the action, suspense and certain ones demises all the more exciting and sad. The movie is only about an hour and 40 minutes which also works to it's advantage. The ending might be disappointing to some, others will like it. Very well done, it's a new and refreshing spin on the monster movie genre.

***1/2
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