Marks the Beginning of an Emerging Genre

Rating: 10/10 (19 January 2008)

I had high expectations going into this movie. I had seen the teaser trailer last summer and the flaming head of the Statue of Liberty crashing into the street blew me away - its sure to become the most iconic part of the movie. It wasn't until it re-emerged a few months later - title included - that I started getting really excited. Finally, now that I've seen it, I can honestly say...wow.
The movie actually begins before the events of the monster attack. We are introduced to Robert Hawkins and Beth Mclntyre about a month earlier. We then cut to the farewell party made famous by the teaser trailer. The reason for this is made clear when it is revealed that Hud - the cameraman for most of the movie and also the token comic-relief - is taping over a day Robert and Beth spent together. In fact, Hud stops recording at various points during the movie, giving you glimpses into the day Beth holds so close to her heart. The farewell party also does more than to just introduce the characters - I spent those first minutes of the movie on edge, knowing that everything was going to go to hell soon but having no idea when.
When it finally does hit the fan, you are thrown right into it. As you follow Robert, Hud, and a couple of others through the streets of Manhattan to escape the monster and find Beth, they do not catch a single break. From the first explosion until you crash into the ending, you'll always see them fighting, struggling, and running for their lives.
This constant feeling of danger is complimented by a wide variety of set pieces. As you progress through the movie, you'll watch as they escape a collapsing bridge; traverse a pitch-dark subway tunnel; scale a lopsided apartment building; and many more moments where you're always wondering what is going to happen next, and sometimes being surprised when you think you do.
In the end, I have nothing bad to say about this movie. Sure, the entire thing is shot with a handy-cam and the footage is sometimes shaky - but such is the draw of a movie that hasn't invoked such a sense of reality to something so fictitious since the Blair Witch Project. My only complaint is that these are the only two movies in what should be a well-rounded genre by now.