GODZILLA For Twenty-Somethings

Rating: 7/10 (6 February 2008)

A giant monster attacks New York City: the idea is at least as old as THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953). What distinguishes CLOVERFIELD is its perspective. Stealing THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT's gimmick, it tells the story exclusively from the point of view of five twenty-somethings armed only with a video camera. Instead of the usual panning shots of thousands of anonymous screaming extras fleeing in panic, which has the effect of distancing the audience from the action, we are right down there in the carnage, underfoot as it were, in danger of getting trampled like the rest.
Unfortunately, this verisimilitude has landed CLOVERFIELD in political hot water. Some people claim it offensively exploits the memory of 9/11 (like a certain former mayor of New York/ex-Presidential candidate). Just to put things in historical perspective, GODZILLA was made in 1954, just nine years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (In an early scene, CLOVERFIELD acknowledges its kaiju roots when it is revealed one of the characters is moving to Tokyo to pursue a career.) CLOVERFIELD isn't a classic like GODZILLA, or even as good as THE HOST, another recent giant monster movie that focuses on people. The characters--the heroic guy, the heroic girl, the nerdy guy, the stuck-up girl, the heroic guy's heroic brother--are far too generic to be memorable. On the other hand, it towers over the disappointing 1998 remake of GODZILLA, also set in New York City. CLOVERFIELD is efficient scary entertainment that will hold your attention for its scant 84-minute running time.