A fun film - the shaking camera thing is NOT a problem

Rating: 9/10 (5 July 2008)

I'm beginning to think some critics are completely out to lunch. Take a completely improbable premise like -- New York City is being attacked by some strange monster -- and run with it. I'd say the chances of coming up with anything even half as entertaining as 'Cloverfield' is about nil. What amazed me most, besides the wonderful way these filmmakers found to visualize this crazy event, is the almost perfect pitch of the young actors in it. They've done a completely convincing job of putting themselves in this fantasy, and that can't have been easy. I'd say several of them have a long career in front of them, though you will probably be annoyed by the comments of the character, Hud, who's holding the camera. That was clearly overdone, but no matter, it doesn't really spoil the party.
I see some are comparing this to the 'Blair Witch' movie because of the digital camera thing. To me it's more reminiscent of the classic 'The Blob', one of Steve McQueen's earliest films, only about 100 times more impressive. I'm looking forward to Bad Robot's next offering.