Wow...

Rating: 9/10 (20 January 2008)

Seriously, that's about all I could say, or think after walking out of the theater at the end of this movie. I still remember nearly having a heart attack when I fist saw the teaser for this movie before Transformers. It left a lot of questions and I immediately went crawling on the web to find answers. JJ Abrams and his crew that put in a lot of really hard work did a very impressive job keeping this under wraps and building the almost endless and impatient-inducing hype. From the beginning of the film all the way to the end I was constantly craving more. Some critics say the acting was terrible, but to them I show them a certain finger, because honestly, if you were running around NYC fearing for your life, how would you act? The story, which the audience can relate to, revolves around, for the most part, Hud and his best friend Rob (Hud being the comic relief behind the camera). Rob is leaving for Japan with a new VP position at some unnamed company (my guess from the start was Slush-O, look at what shirt Rob's brother, Jason, is wearing). Weeks before Rob sleeps with his good friend (and as we find romantic interest) Beth, what do you know, Rob falls in love. Then the night of his going away party he sees Beth and it pretty much ruins his fun, that is until the ground shakes and the power fails temporarily. Enter: "Cloverfield" from the ocean tearing off the head of the Statue of Liberty and capsizing a ship on it's entrance into Manhattan. The rest of the film continues with Hud behind the camera and Rob with a small group of close friends in tow in a desperate attempt to save Beth and flee from this creature. There is the story that I can tell without ruining the film. This unique style that hasn't really been done before (we'll just forget Blair Witch on this one) really gives the audience a new view on a movie not yet seen, the first person perspective of the main characters. Yes, you see the monster, and they do a great job of teasing you with small glimpses of it (and the smaller almost more terrifying creatures that come with it). The special effects are well done, and the action scenes involving the Army are just as intense as the destruction this creature unleashes. A "you never know what'll happen next" "edge of your seat" thrill ride- sorry to sound cliché'd. I loved this movie and really hope they follow through with the rumored plans to make another from a different perspective. If you like monster movies, thrillers, action, and keep-you-guessing films this is one you must check out. Hey, if it's good enough to beat out Star Wars: SE and Black Hawk Down on the opening weekend box office records then it must be good. $41 million and counting can't be wrong!