Revolutionary, exciting, but a little disappointing

Rating: 7/10 (18 January 2008)

I must begin by saying that, in my opinion, J.J. Abrams set out to revolutionize the action movie, which I guarantee he did. With the idea of the shaky camera already making headway, Abrams film will definitely start a new generation of hand-held camera films. In that respect, the film was very well done: while the camcorder was crazy, it wasn't so discombobulated that it became distracting, and the effect made me feel like I was really in the movie. I also highly recommend that you watch this movie in theatres, as I promise the effect is great. Plus, on a T.V. screen, I have the feeling that it might look more like a home movie than like a (somewhat) frightening action movie.
I appreciated the willingness to kill off characters (I always get annoyed with those death and destruction movies where everyone dies EXCEPT the main characters) and was often surprised by the humour of the cameraman. It was also a unique twist that I only rarely saw the cameraman, despite the fact that he was the main character.
However, I was rather disappointed on one fact: total lack of closure. While I do appreciate open-ended movies, this didn't address the one main issue I feel many people anticipate an answer to: what the hell was that thing? Was it an alien? Was there one or several (though you never see more than one at a time, there's no certainty that this is the only one)? Was it a Godzilla remake with a twist? Was it a government experiment? Was it a surprise to the government, or did they know it was coming? Did anyone know anything? Did anyone ever find out anything? I would have been okay with just a little idea, a hint, a musing; anything! I have been trying to guess what this creature was since I saw the preview this summer. Friends and I would have heated debates about it. And not only did Abrams never give an answer, he never even gave a hint. I almost felt like Abrams himself didn't know what would have been a satisfying explanation, and ended it before he would ever have to explain it.
Overall, unique, riveting, and well worthwhile; but I apologize to anyone who went hoping to discover what the monster was.