I've never been scared by a movie in my life... until Cloverfield.

Rating: 9/10 (19 January 2008)

This movie was very, very good. Yet many people seem to hate it. Let me explain why. This movie is not a corny Godzilla rip-off, with a crappy looking monster and an all star cast. No. Cloverfield is an intense, realistic, serious movie. The beginning lulls you into a feeling of false security, then when the monster inevitably attacks, it gets extremely intense, almost instantly. However, the beauty is in its immersion. Through the whole thing, you feel like you're there, and you may actually fear for your life at some parts. The camera work is brilliantly done, and it feels completely natural. Some say there is some allusion to 9/11 in this movie, and it offends them. But don't be fooled by those people. This movie's realism naturally leads parts of it to be similar to 9/11, but it's not a bad thing. Realism has been sorely lacking in movies lately, and it was refreshing to see, to be honest. Some critics dislike the characters and feel they're stupid, but they simply acted how any normal person would in the situation they were in. Perhaps you can forgive them for not being experts in monster-studies, and instead being scared and irrational. Indeed, if you aren't a monster scientist either, it's likely you'll be just as scared as they are. I know I was. In closing, Cloverfield is very realistic, raw, intense, dramatic, and exciting. I was gripping my seat for dear life during much of it, and I couldn't let go for several minutes after it ended. See this movie. No ifs, ands, or buts. See it. Just don't expect it to be corny and boring.