Was it worth the hype? This viral marketing campaign success story lived up to it’s potential. But it’s not all good, and for the obvious reasons.
To start with, Cloverfield lived up to the marketing hype. It’s a handycam-shot, low-budget ($25 million), monster movie. This movie wasn’t a secret Transformers movie, it wasn’t The Blair Witch Project and it wasn’t Godzilla. Liberally it was a combination of the three, with a dose of 9/11 thrown in.
I’m going to avoid spoilers. I don’t want to ruin it for anyone and you can find enough spoilers on the Internet.
Acting
None of the actors are known or famous. This is probably what keeps the budget affordable. For the most part the acting is solid, though I have to ask, if you’re going to be running for your life just why in God’s name are you hauling a handycam around?
Sound
Exceptional. Top-knotch. Don’t look for a music score, this movie is pretty much music free. The sound work is very immersive, believable, and my hat’s off to the women who screamed like they were being torn to shreds. Your acting classes were worth it!
Cinematography
I loved the cinematography in Saving Private Ryan and Collateral. Both were hyperrealistic, visceral, immersive and well done. I can almost say the same thing for this movie. The handycam really made the movie immersive and the glimpses you get of the monster were really well shot.
Having said that, I haven’t had a movie make me one to throw up before. Maybe it’s a combination of the sinus cold I’ve been fighting and my inner ear is messed up. I spent 80 minutes of my life trying not to hurl up bits of Twizzler. To be honest I will probably go see this movie again so I can enjoy it more.
Overall I give this movie a good 3 out of 5. The acting is OK for the most part, nothing really stellar. The sound was great but I think the handycam footage got stale. It would have been interesting to use a combination of steady-cam footage with the handycam sequences liberally mixed in.
Go see the movie, bring the wife or girlfriend (or boyfriend.) This is a monster movie cum horror movie that’s well-told and worth the wait.
