Heads Up !

Rating: 2/10 (18 May 2008)

If you enjoy "found footage" movies and liked 'Blair Witch Project' you will probably enjoy this too. Unfortunately, both films left me wanting.
Cloverfield starts out VERY slowly and kills about the first half hour on feeble development of plot and characters. As the story unfolds, interest begins to mount, but I found myself already getting antsy by then. Farther along, the few glimpses of the threat are pretty cool and there is attempt to heighten the scary factor throughout by keeping the threat pretty much out of sight, kind of like what Spielberg did in 'Jaws', except this film fails at it. The camera work is jittery and amateurish, as it is intended to be. It is, supposedly, recorded with a hand held camera by, variably, different people in a circle of acquaintances who started out the evening attending a party when all heck broke loose. The ending is predictable and abrupt.
I'm glad I got to see it for free, but sad that I wasted the time on it. If I had it to do over again......I'd pass.............