Good...but not what I expected

Rating: 8/10 (21 January 2008)

When I first saw the trailer, I was expecting a solid monster movie with an original but enjoyable and fair plot where the monster is eventually, destroyed, everyone celebrates, the day is saved, etc.
But instead, there is limited plot, only the characters get an actual backstory. Almost nothing is revealed about the monsters origin or purpose. In fact, only glimpses of the monster are shown until a clear shot of it is seen near the end of the film.
Finally, the ending (as well as the whole film) is quite dark themed and full of unknown, making it difficult to determine what happens at the end of the film.
However, there are some pretty good points that I enjoyed.
The shaky, realistic motion of the camera adds tension to the experience. It almost feels like your actually there.
There is no music, but the sheer amount of gripping sounds(explosions, screaming, the monsters roar) was enough for me and they are pretty realistic.
Finally, there is plenty of action and it is enjoyable to see the immense destruction the monster causes while fighting with the military.
I enjoyed this movie for the most part and it is one of the best modern monster flicks I've seen. But all too often, I prefer a movie that is a little less gloomy and with an original ending.