Cloverfield...need I say more?

Rating: 10/10 (26 January 2008)

Unlike most, I had done absolutely no research whatsoever when the virals started coming out, and I didn't plan to look into it. I went to it opening day, and I must admit that...Cloverfield has changed the face of monster-movies. Everyone knows the plot, so I'm not going to explain things that have already been said. I will say, though, that it by far exceeds expectations. Yes, the camera is shaky, especially during the Underground Subway scene, but the shakiness only adds to the effect. To those who feel the camera was a crapout, they don't understand the aesthetics of the movie. Put in a nutshell: we see only what the camera sees. The back story on the monster is purposely left out to create the hopeless illusion. Without knowing the monster's weakness and where it came from (possibly Japan), all reassurance is lost. The movie is a roller-coaster all the way through, until the very end, when we finally get up close and VERY personal to the creature...and watch poor Hud die.