Susan Granger’s review of “Cloverfield” (Paramount Pictures)
Using the Internet to arouse anticipation and then delivering a genuine sci-fi/horror/monster movie has proven to be a winning formula for “Alias” and “Lost” producer J.J.Abrams and director Matt Reeves.
As viewed from the lens of a spectator’s video camera, the story begins with a budding romance between twentysomethings Rob (Michael Stahl-David) and Beth (Odette Yustman) on a date in Coney Island. Then Rob is leaving for Japan, so his brother Jason (Mike Vogel) and Jason’s girl-friend Lily (Jessica Lucas) throw him a surprise party in SoHo. Rob’s best friend, Hud (T.J. Miller), has been assigned to camcorder duty, and Hud’s love interest is Marlena (Lizzy Caplan).
Suddenly, Manhattan is under attack by some giant creature and its parasites that emerge from the harbor – and the Statue of Liberty is decapitated. Amid the chaos, Rob’s cellphone rings; Beth is trapped in her father’s midtown apartment. Rob’s determined to rescue her with his partying pals trotting along behind. Meanwhile, the military has been summoned and everyone is in a state of panic. Although it’s never mentioned, apparently “Cloverfield” is the Department of Defense designation for the monster’s elimination.
Borrowing visceral elements from “The Blair Witch Project,” “Godzilla” and newsreel footage from 9/11, Abrams and Reeves work with writer Drew Goddard, cinematographer Michael Bonvillain, production designer Martin Whist, visual effects supervisor Phil Tippett and editor Kevit Stitt to create some scary, horrific moments, made all the more immediate and unsettling by the jiggly, hand-held camerawork which may induce nausea in those prone to motion-sickness.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Cloverfield” is a crudely naturalistic, yet innovative, effective 8. It’s already so successful that Hasbro is accepting orders for a 14” collectible monster with parasites to be shipped by September 30, 2008.
