I have been waiting for the release of "Cloverfield" for six months. I forwarded everyone I knew to a YouTube link to look at what I called "the coolest trailer I have ever seen in my entire life."
Could I have been any more disappointed?
The movie was all right. In fact, any normal person would probably walk out of the theater satisfied.
I was unhappy because I had built "Cloverfield" up so much in my mind that I left the theater wishing the movie was more like the trailer. It was an entertaining film, but I left wanting so much more.
"Cloverfield," the latest J.J. Abrams project ("Lost," "Alias"), focuses on a group of New York City friends who are throwing a going-away party that is rudely interrupted by an unidentifiable creature.
Twenty-something Rob (Michael Stahl-David) has just landed a great new job in Japan. However, he's just had a falling out with the girl he has been pining after for months and is preparing to leave his whole life behind when the unthinkable happens: the whole city is under attack.
The party crowd runs outside, which proves to be a terrible idea.
From that point on, the movie follows the predictable twists and turns as the group runs from the monster and chaos envelopes the city. Some make it to the end, some don't. Some loves and friendships blossom, some are snuffed out.
Interestingly enough, I envisioned myself myself in the characters' shoes. Perhaps it was the commonality of the situation.
Maybe it was the use of relatively unknown actors. Stahl-David's most recent project before "Cloverfield" was as a character on the short-lived NBC drama "The Black Donnellys."
Though the plot leaves a lot to be desired, there are some high points in the cinematography and direction.
Director Matt Reeves, who previously worked with Abrams on "Felicity," takes control of the absurdity of the situation by blowing the head off of the Statue of Liberty. He has the characters traverse the city via empty subway lines and roof tops.
The best scene of the entire movie shows a horse drawing an empty carriage down a silent, destroyed street.
These great shots are captured by Rob's best friend, Hud. He manages to miraculously hang on to a handheld video camera for most of the film, expertly recording the entire situation.
What makes this movie unbelievable is that Hud acquires the camera by accident, yet shoots like a pro. He focuses on things a panicked person fleeing from imminent danger would never see.
The camera also proves to be indestructible. Unaffected by falling debris and Hud's tripping, the camera also has a battery that never needs to be charged.
"Cloverfield" is a mediocre action flick that takes a new and interesting look at the monster-attacks-New-York-City genre, yet loses its appeal when it tries to be more than it truly is.
