Disappointing

Rating: 5/10 (28 January 2008)

**Contains spoilers for "Cloverfield" and "I Am Legend"**
Let me start off by saying that I love JJ Abrams' work. Favorites to date include "Armageddon", "Alias" and "Lost". And I'm really looking forward to the upcoming "Star Trek" release. But "Cloverfield" was unfortunately a huge disappointment.
First, let's address the most obvious problem: vertigo caused by the shaky camera effect. I had no idea my popcorn bag could potentially have served another purpose usually associated with airplanes or amusement parks; I personally didn't succumb but came very close. The shaky photography was for too long and was too intense. I even had occasional trouble following the action because by the time my eyes re-focused on the screen the scene was over. The theater din during and after the movie were mostly mumblings of nausea, dizziness and headaches; some of my fellow patrons, like the poor guy next to me, even left without seeing the end of the movie. My two thirteen year old "dates" complained of headaches and were completely silent for the entire car trip home. I saw the movie this past Friday and today is Monday and I still feel a tad nauseated. Maybe if some scenes had been still shots and the shaky camera effect had been intermittent the movie could have maintained its first person perspective without compromising its creativity or ferocity. Or maybe I just should have taken a Dramamine before leaving my house.
I also wish the characters had been developed more. Marlena was unfortunately very distant and not always nice, especially to Hud. When she died I felt sympathy for her as a human being but not much more. I wanted to see more of Hud. He was cute and funny and we didn't see enough of him because he was the movie's primary camera man. The other characters were mostly likable but I still don't feel like I had a chance to connect with them. I was honestly more upset when Sam died in "I Am Legend" than I was with the deaths in "Cloverfield". (Allow me to clarify that my issues are with the characters, not with the actors.)
As for the monster(s), I was left wanting to know more. Were they aliens? An evolutionary nightmare? A government experiment gone horribly awry? In the makeshift department store/medical unit scene, we saw at least one of the smaller monsters on a gurney but we didn't get any follow up. No scientists dissecting it. No news conference with a White House/DoD/State Department official press release. What are these things? Why are they here? Are more coming? This trick on "Lost" made me tune in every week for more information (especially that darned polar bear); in "Cloverfield" I was just left confused and a smidgen apathetic. And even though I wouldn't have wanted to live through that horror, the movie didn't really scare me like I anticipated.
In summary, the movie was okay but not the masterpiece I expected from Mr. Abrams. If the sequel is mostly still camera, I'll probably go see it just for closure. If it's shaky camera, I will definitely pass and wait for the DVD (so I can watch it in spurts to avoid the vertigo). The most important thing I hope to discover in the sequel is who, what, or where is Cloverfield? I do wonder though...if I hadn't had to close my eyes periodically in an effort to avoid vomiting or if I had been able to focus on the screen better, would I have fewer questions?