Cloverfield opens to what could be the same director and film crew that shot The Blair Witch Project.
With New York City (Manhattan) being in the backdrop of this copycat of I AM Legend that starred Will Smith this one unlike I AM Legend was still too long at 85 minutes if you stay and watch the credits.
Cloverfield is one whirlwind of special effects leaving the viewer a frame short of what really happens. If you want to see the person killed, the blood shooting out of someones mouth, or the person being crushed it does not deliver. People die throughout the film but you are left with your own imagination of exactly what occurred.
As for the acting they left that out along with the script. The shooting of the film could be deemed cool as T.J. Miller’s character “Hud” carries a cam coder when the film begins at a surprise party. "Hud" continues to shoot the evening as it unfolds while being chased by a modern day Godzilla. The fact that Hud was shooting this historical event that would eventually lead to his own death when he is eaten by the very creature he is filming shows how ridiculous this script is. Huds death like the film ending comes as a great relief.
The director made it a point to have product placement shots. While doing a close up of the Sephora sign the actors are secondary as they should be. If his point was to show the real monster is the big companies he missed that boat too.
Cloverfield has made some sick literally vomiting. One of the people I went with left soon after the opening credits due to the way the film was shot and was told by the staff a number of people vomited already during Cloverfield.
15 minutes would have been enough of the cam coder shooting along with the entire film. The last 70 minutes of this one could have been cut and everyone should have died in the first minute the Monster hits Manhattan, everyone would have been spared 70 minutes to do something else more meaningful.
Cloverfield is no I AM Legend and Will Smith proves he is the man when it comes to going up against monsters taking over Manhattan.
Cloverfield 1 out of 4 stars.
Movie Review: Peter Tosto
