It's terrific FX but not compelling (no serious spoilers)

Rating: 7/10 (19 April 2019)

So, I got to tell 'ya here: This is a monster movie. Does that qualify as a spoiler? I guess it must because the movie starts with a vacuous yuppie going away party with just about the least interesting (though still handsome / pretty) set of Millennials ever... And suddenly they're thrust into a run-for-your-life disaster movie staring huge robots that can transform themselves into cars and such and there's a very distracting babe...oh wait, wrong movie but nearly the same idea. There's random, needless, and apolitical destruction everywhere and the Millennials are on the run with only one slightly guilty (and enormously dumb) rescue operation underway. Hey: They're the only ones left running around, practically, in a city of zillions. Why the seven stars: I loved the FX. Wow. It's 2008 and it looks real, filmed in cinema verité. Impressive! You could easily imagine yourself right there (but, unfortunately, with a less pretty girl friend or less handsome bf, but who's counting). Other than moderately irrational behavior by the protagonist, the other actions are real in context (btw, there's no way this could have happened in LA because everyone would be giving the monster a shoulder shrug and a kumbaya and, besides, the monster would have been stuck on the 405 FOR HOURS ON END). Ultimately, as many other reviews have said, this is not much more than Blair Witch with a bang.