Not very original, but much better than I thought I it would be

Rating: 7/10 (21 January 2008)

I saw this film yesterday with my wife and oldest son, mostly because my son wanted to see it so badly. My wife and I both expected a total fanboy blood & gore monster/disaster flick with a bunch of characters only there to die in a loud and gory manner. Granted, for the most part it WAS a fanboy monster/disaster flick but it did manage to impress all three of us and somehow live up to the hype. I hadn't seen or read any websites or message boards so I was able to see the film without knowing any outside theories or leaked information.
Yes, this film borrowed heavily from other films of its kind. I was reminded often of Aliens, The Blair Witch Project (itself an idea copied from Cannibal Holocaust) and the original War of the Worlds. I even saw some parallels from 9/11 video clips. It also had the generic disaster film elements of the troubled relationship that was being saved in the midst of disaster (just like Independence Day and Twister) and the heroic protagonist who disregards safety for the woman he loves. I think everyone knew that the end (spoiler alert!) would show the two troubled lovers one last time to remind us that they were happy not too long before. Despite all of this, I was still impressed with how the film was put together. They did manage to keep it all entertaining and I was never bored. I legitimately cared about these characters and the viewer felt like part of the disaster. I wanted them to escape even though the very beginning of the film had already suggested that they wouldn't make it.
I've seen better films of this genre, but I still recommend Cloverfield to anyone who likes these kinds of movies. Not exactly family-friendly (our 1-year-old didn't come with us) but an entertaining way to spend an evening. I'd probably buy it on DVD. The only complaint I'd have would be the fanboy audience made up of skinny wannabe punkers who wore jeans so low they looked like they'd pooped their pants and identical-looking underage goths talking and answering cell phones during the movie.