Only two words suit this movie: "thrilling" and "unique".

Rating: 10/10 (24 February 2008)

Cloverfield is unique among it's fellow monster movies, in that it is infinitely more sickening. And I mean sickening in the best possible way. To put it frankly, Cloverfield is brutal. This isn't your cliché "guy in a rubber suit attacks city in campy manner" monster movie. This is something that will leave you shaken, and for various reasons at that.
But first, a word of warning. If you have motion sickness, you might wish to wait for the DVD release. Cloverfield's camera work is designed to emulate a hand-held camera in the possession of a scared young man as realistically as possible. As a result, it's going to be shaky. Very shaky. While it sounds disheartening at first, it helps add to the realism of the disaster portrayed. It is a very effective manner of filming in that it significantly raises the heart rate of the viewer. This style, combined with the non-stop panic and chaos Cloverfield shows, is a brilliant way to portray a monster attack. Cloverfield gives you exactly what you would expect from a real monster attack, or even any disaster, and that is total chaos. And when it comes to portraying total chaos, Cloverfield does it more or less perfectly. This is helped by surprisingly competent acting considering the fact that the cast is full of near-unknown actors. (What did you expect? It's a relatively low budget movie which requires lots of effects because of it's very nature.)
The monster itself is totally original, and very well designed. It looks totally unique, with nothing to compare it to. But I will say that it has probably the best design in monster history. And I won't spoil the movie, but I'll say that it isn't the only thing that's well-designed. The events of the movie are all very memorable, with some that are simply shocking. But don't be fooled, although this is a monster movie, the characters take priority. The monster isn't the only thing the camera records. It also shows the struggle the cast go through and their relationships with one another. The characters are all rather well-done, particularly Hud, the cameraman(and oh-so-subtle pun). Cloverfield is in many ways a very well made film and a great revival of the dying monster genre. Additionally, it provides some commentary and messages amidst the destruction, much like the original Godzilla did well over 50 years ago. I would highly recommend Cloverfield, but do not expect cliché white lab-coat scientist exposition about the monster's origin. the movie shows what people caught up in the havoc would see and know, but if that is really so important, look up the viral marketing which explains more of the overall plot. But Cloverfield is about more than just that-it shows struggle, and panic, and how helpless we are against our own planet.