Excellent from start to finish

Rating: 10/10 (14 February 2008)

I haven't followed the hype-campaign for this, so I can't really say if it's good to watch this if you have done so or not. I was interested in this from when I first saw the teaser trailer. Yes, this does evoke images of 9/11. Yes, the entire film is presented as something that was taped on a camcorder. And yes, this camcorder does have rather impressive zooming capabilities, and a battery the durability of which is remarkable. But this is an awesome film. It's a thrill-ride, intense throughout, once it starts to be(and I wasn't bored with what was going on before that). It is incredibly well-paced, it never gets to be overwhelming, but it never lets you relax all the way, either. For about an hour and a half, you will feel the sense of not really being safe. J.J. doesn't disappoint. The masterful story-telling, the marvelous concept(which is a very interesting new angle on a very familiar type of movie/story... this is like The Blair Witch Project, only, you know, quality stuff), which was executed exceptionally well, the rich characters(which are developed and introduced subtly and skillfully), the dialog(it's "real", clever/expertly written, or both)... all the way, the traits of his productions and his talent are there(here's hoping Lost doesn't suffer). The acting is flawless. I found the amount of exposure of the creature to be about perfect, I'm not sure I would have gone with neither more nor less. There's enough that you won't wonder what it looked like, and yet it's in such sparse amounts that it never loses its effectiveness, it never ceases to be scary to us. The way the film is presented is a reasonably simple idea, but the way it's used and what it does is great. I don't remember when I was last this into a movie, or had such a fun time at the cinema(in fact, on that last one, this may be the first time for that). The film is perhaps not entirely without clichés, but they are quite rare, almost non-existent. It pulled the rug out from under me again and again, as J.J. has before shown a knack for being able to. The special effects are amazing, and never really feel like such. Watch this for the ride, for the well-told story within a monster flick told from an original perspective, and/or for, well, the J.J. Any fan of his may love this, if not necessarily as much as I did, and for anyone who isn't, well, this may very well have made a fan out of my dad... and he's usually into realistic and authentic films, more than "spectacle" ones. I recommend this to anyone who feels they would enjoy it. Keep working, J.J., I'm definitely behind you. 10/10