Good Monster Flick, Depending on Expectations...

Rating: 7/10 (1 September 2008)

There's not much to comment on about the film, this is one that the majority of people will either like or hate, based on the expectations one has.
The acting is all well done, though the cast is full of unknowns and some are too pretty.
The directing is very well done, though the monster is rarely seen and the film could've been slightly longer with more plot devices utilized into it, instead of situations that are basically out of every other monster flick.
The shaky-cam is beyond annoying after a while. I didn't get the usual motion sickness and puke all over the person sitting in front of me. Nope. Instead, my eyes just got incredibly screwed up for a couple days, and I suffered a little dizziness. There's moments when the camera settles down, but it's so brief that it made me want more. If there is a sequel and it is done with the same techniques, please learn that not everyone has nerves like a 10.5 earthquake is going through them, some actually know how to keep steady when action is in front of us.
The music... there's hardly any music. Except for the nauseous background music our protagonists listen to, and the overture by Giacchino during the end credits.
The writing here is pretty original considering the genre this film is in. The comedy works well, mainly with comments from the cameraman. There's not much blood -- though a girl does explode, people are slammed with tails, and some are lifted into the monster's own jaws.
Overall, Cloverfield was a pretty good movie. It met all my expectations, and it was pretty satisfying -- it provided some nice chatting at school the next week.
Worth a rent, and maybe a buy. Really is worth 3 1/2 stars.
**Be sure to keep your eyes close to the screen to see the object that falls from the sky at the end of the film during the Coney Island footage.