An expensive risk

Rating: 4/10 (13 February 2008)

I went to see this movie last night with no prior knowledge about the film, other than the attractive movie poster featuring a decapitated statue of liberty.
When the movie started and we were watching some camcorder footage, I kept wondering when the film was actually going to start! This was the kind of feeling I got throughout the whole movie. And I was not alone! I heard murmurings around the cinema with spectators wondering the same thing. I can not remember the last time I went to the cinema with over half the audience leaving before the halfway mark. (And the movie only lasts 95 mins) I admire the risk that the filmmakers took to create this movie. There are some attractive special effects and some parts of the movie are visually stunning. I also thought it was refreshing to see another film from the point of view of a cameraman, as I have not seen such a movie since the Blair Witch Project. However, before I went to see the Blair Witch Project, I knew what to expect.
In my opinion, Cloverfield would have been best suited on the Independent cinema screen, rather than mainstream.
If you want to go and see a movie from a different point of view with some attractive special effects then go and see this movie. However, if you are going with your friends or partners in the hope of watching something greatly entertaining with a great storyline, then you will most likely be disappointed.