Vomit-inducing style married to impressive effects sequences

Rating: 6/10 (21 January 2008)

"Cloverfield", which is even shakier than "The Blair Witch Project", induced nausea in me -- not because it was repulsive or uncommonly scary, but because the hand-held style goes way over the top to the point where you need to look away to avoid dizziness. While a bunch of unlikeable twenty something's are celebrating a friend's career move to Japan, disaster strikes New York City. Pandemonium breaks out as the Statue of Liberty's head crashes onto the street and buildings burn and topple 9-11-style. A small bunch of party goers tries making their way across town to rescue a hot, bland babe trapped in a semi-demolished building. Is there nothing guys won't do for pussy? The cause of the commotion is an impressive looking lizard that could be the offspring of the creature in "The Host". This slippery critter is pig biting mad at something and is rampaging around Manhattan like it's Legoland. The film's special effects are dazzling and the monster is pretty damn excellent. There are some harrowing scenes of destruction (the collapse of the Brooklyn Bridge, for example) and some flawless, nightmarish imagery involving spider-like critters (ala "Starship Troopers") that fall like flakes of dandruff from the big lizard. Unfortunately, the main characters are either arrogant asses, bitches, or embarrassing dorks. Why the writers thought they had to populate their movie with such distasteful people is anybody's guess because you just don't care when they die. The film is recommended with reservations.