cloverfield creature - Weekend Box Office: Cool "Cloverfield" Update of "Godzilla" And a Couple of Chick Flicks

January 19th, 2008 · No Comments

cloverfield creature -

None of the new releases out this weekend are too bad, but “Cloverfield” is the best of the bunch and the only one I wholeheartedly recommend. I was unable to screen the new Woody Allen flick, “Cassandra’s Dream“–out in limited release–and will have to review it later (it’s getting mostly bad reviews).

* “Cloverfield“: I really liked this tight, well-done movie that is sort of an updated, hip version of “Godzilla” including a touching, but not chick-flickish love story. If there is one drawback, it is the jerky, constantly moving “Blair Witch Project” style the movie in which the movie is shot. It will give you a headache, unless you sit farther back in the theater.

Using all unknown–but still good-looking and well-acted–actors, a group of 20- or 30-something Manhattan friends are at a good-bye party for their friend, Rob (very hot actor Michael Stahl-David, one to watch). We watch the movie through the lens of a video camera that Rob’s friend, Hud, is using to film the good-bye party.

Rob is in love with his long-time friend, Beth, but they are not together and she leaves the party in strife. Soon, though, New York under attack. Buildings are blown up and it seems like there is an earthquake. Rob and his friends escape the apartment building. On the streets of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty’s head falls right near them. This is another error in the movie–methinks the head is too small versus the real size on the real Lady Liberty. More shots of buildings being attacked are very vivid and disturbing, reminding you of 9/11.

Soon, we see what is attacking Manhattan–a giant creature that looks like a cross between a dinosaur and a bony creature from “Alien” v. “Predator.” Rob and his friends are told to evacuate Manhattan by the national guard, but Rob gets cell-phone calls from Beth that she is trapped. Rob and friends crawl through Manhattan’s subway tunnels, walk among rats, fight off giant spider-like creatures, and traverse destroyed buildings to rescue Beth and get out of Manhattan before the last military helicopter takes off and bombing of New York begins.

The movie is very short–just under an hour and twenty minutes. And it’s tight and fast-paced. There is no slack or boredom here. It’s equal parts action, adventure, romance, sci-fi, and horror.

A fun, escapist, light movie that is highly recommended, but not for kids–there’s a little blood. In case you were wondering, Cloverfield is the name of the operation to evacuate Manhattan and er