Cloverfield wasn't supposed to be any good. At least, that's what "insiders" like myself have been saying for a few months now. The barrage of annoying viral marketing campaigns surrounding the project have been going strong since this past summer's Comic Con - That mysterious J.J. Abrams project…
There was the title issue - What's it called? Cloverfield? Monstrous? Slusho? Untitled J.J. Abrams Project? 1-18-08? There were random web sites with cryptic hints of what Cloverfield could possibly be. And at the heart of it were the unforgettable images of a beheaded Lady Liberty. It all got a little ridiculous for my taste and, over time, pretty much made me want to hate the film. All hype and no substance, right?
Well, I'm man enough to admit when I'm wrong.
Cloverfield delivers on everything the hype machine promised. It’s part Godzilla, part Blair Witch and even a tiny part romance. It’s a piece of pure entertainment that audiences are going to love.
While Cloverfield has been heavily promoted as a “J.J. Abrams” project, he neither wrote nor directed the material. Two frequent Abrams collaborators - director Matt Reeves and writer Drew Goddard - took on those duties from the shred of an idea Abrams had while checking out Godzilla toys with his son during the MI:III promotional tour in Japan. Abrams served as a sort of consultant and producer as Reeves, Goddard and team ran with the concept. Meanwhile, Abrams was busily preparing next December’s highly anticipated reboot of the Star Trek franchise.
The opening portion of Cloverfield is firmly rooted in the Felicity-inspired world this team is so familiar with. We enter through the perspective of Rob (Michael Stahl-David) as he lovingly records Beth (Odette Yustman) before a day trip to Coney Island. Everything we see through the course of the entire film is shot through the lens of this same video camera.
It turns out Rob is moving to Japan. Skipping ahead to the night of his going away party, Rob’s best friend, Hud (T.J. Miller), has been tasked with taking this same video camera around the party and recording good-bye wishes from all of Rob’s friends. As Hud makes his way through the party-goers, we learn that Rob and Beth are longtime friends, not lovers. The friendship between Beth and Rob has gotten awkward since their night together and she leaves the party abruptly. As Rob ponders his next move with Hud, his brother, Jason (Mike Vogel), and Jason’s girlfriend, Lily (Jessica Lucas), the building starts to shake.
From here on through to the end, Cloverfield is non-stop, relentlessly terrifying ride.
Unlike Blair Witch, which Cloverfield has been compared to, the initial set up serves the worthy purpose of crafting characters that have at least a little depth. You know something about these people as they go through the most terrifying of situations, even if their scenario may skew a bit too WB for some tastes. Blair Witch’s characters were completely innocuous by comparison and, call me callous, but I didn’t give a damn when they got “offed.”
The first person perspective through Hud’s camera works surprisingly well. Yes, it’s shaky and hard to tell what’s going on at times (if Blair Witch made you want to vomit, you might want to take a pass), but it’s generally believable and does succeed in making you feel like a character in the film.
In our post 9/11 world, witnessing the destruction of a city (particularly New York) from this vantage point is inherently terrifying. Commendably, the filmmakers resist the temptation to use that as a reference point for the characters. It’s implied and that’s enough.
I won’t discuss the monster in great detail because not knowing is part of the fun of the experience. I will say that what you do see is well done, smartly playing to the strengths of the low-budget material.
Cloverfield isn't without its issues. The voyeuristic camera perspective works better than it did in Blair Witch because it was clearly more carefully plotted out. But it can still get a little ridiculous at times. The film's visual narrator/D.P., Hud, is such a simple-minded moron that you wouldn't mind if he was given an early exit. He continues to shoot through countless near-death experiences to 
the degree that you want to shout out, "Put Down the Frickin’ Camera!" Of course, you have to let that part go to truly enjoy the ride. Also, the relatively unknown young cast is a tad rough in the more intensive dramatic moments.
But all of these are minor quibbles when stacked again the breakneck pace of the action and the high stakes, palm-sweating intensity that carries through almost the entire movie.
Somewhere, you’d have to imagine Roland Emmerich and co. (who made 1998's wildly expensive and awful Godzilla) are scratching their heads. This is the movie Godzilla should have been - and for a fraction of the cost. It’s a true cinematic ride, delivering everything audiences could possibly want from a monster movie. The only downside is the onslaught of viral marketing we’ll all have to endure once Cloverfield becomes a runaway hit.
ReelzChannel Rating: 