Fails To Live Up To Its Hype!

Rating: Null/10 (22 October 2015)

Taking the concept of a monster film & applying it in the found footage subgenre of horror, Cloverfield is considered by many to be amongst the better examples of modern horror yet the story it packs in is quite generic, the characters inhabiting its world aren't worthy of any emotional investment and much of the movie is redeemed by its frenetic camera-work, smart editing & chaotic ambiance.
Set in New York City, Cloverfield follows a group of friends who are throwing a going-away party for one of theirs before the entire city is shaken by an apparent earthquake. Going out to investigate, they find that the situation is far worse than imagined for Manhattan is being razed to the ground by a gigantic monster. The plot then covers their peril as they attempt to get out of the city but first have to rescue a close friend who's trapped in her building.
Directed by Matt Reeves, Cloverfield opens on a calm note but once the monster surfaces in the town, a frenzied energy takes over the screen and Reeves does well in retaining the intensity from that point onwards. Written by Drew Goddard, the plot outline & how all of it is supposed to unfold is taken care of quite well but the characters aren't interesting at all and one of them easily manages to get on the nerves for he was incapable of shutting up.
The hand-held camera-work is finely carried out, the warm colour palette fits the narrative, its 85 minutes of runtime flies by once the main plot surfaces, VFX is kept to its minimum for we don't see the monster in its entirety but only in bits n pieces and also notable is the fact that the filmmakers chose to not explain the monster's origin & other stuffs, thus giving its viewers something to ponder about once it all finishes while the performances from its cast is mediocre at best.
On an overall scale, Cloverfield definitely has a few interesting things going on which work out in its favour but for the most part, it remains an underwhelming experience that fails to replicate the excitement its earlier hype generated. Stylishly directed, making effective use of shaky cam & brimming with 9/11 references but also marred by poor characterisation, some terrible lines & a highly annoying input from the guy holding the camera, Cloverfield isn't as special as many have called it to be but it nonetheless makes up for an entertaining ride.