Cloverfield: The Beginning

Rating: 8/10 (11 June 2011)

J.J. Abrams doesn't like to give away much, especially in his film's trailers. It's a wonder they ever make moneyÂ…for those who don't know who he is.
He did it with 2008's Cloverfield and now with Super 8. If the coming attraction was wide open, like most movie previews, it would probably have a tagline such as "If you liked Goonies, Stand by Me or E.T., you'd likeÂ…"
Dang; I promised not to spoil too much, like what's already been given away by a lot of viewers and critics. Suffice to say: yes, it's like thoseÂ…and it's set in 1979, so anyone up for a little nostalgia, should see this immediately.
I relished in the homage played and the inside jokes for many things, including the "advanced technology," just recently defunct, walk-man. But, similar to the 2009 Abrams reboot: Star Trek, the props and feel are just part of the fun and joy.
Those were fantastic. This guy KNOWS kids, namely adolescent boys. He had them pegged and the timeframe they were dealing with. This feels extremely like it was made in 1979, but with today's technology. So, I guess I'm saying: it's not only great for nostalgia's sake, it's perfect for those of us who not only grew up in that era, but for those film lovers of the above mentioned films/series.
Allow me to go into the plot line, from pretty much the trailer's POV plus a little more that won't spoil too much: several Ohio kids are filming a movie when all of a sudden a train crashes â€“ not just in their presence, but right on top of them andÂ…something escapes. Following that, the town is thrown into turmoil due to lost dogs, appliances and electricity. Toss in the big, bad government/military and intentional confusion and you have another throwback to the 1970's monster movies.
It definitely goes beyond that, as it has a lot to do with the film the kids are making, in addition toÂ…well, young love.
I really don't want to give away too much more. About the plot that is. What I will comment on is all the other wonderful aspects beyond the fantastic re-creation of an era I grew up in. Such as great cinematography, both depth to the characters and chemistry between them â€“ you'd think they really had known each other since kindergarten and special effects that were not only good, but brought you back to another timeframe: the original Jurassic Park from 1993.
Now, the movie's not perfectÂ…the "creature" that's hidden from audiences that haven't seen this, is really clichÃ©d and not very imaginative. (It really reminded me of much larger 'Species 8472' from Star Trek: Voyager. Wow, that's a double whammy: it dates me in addition to outing me as both a trekker and a Voyager fan. For all of that, I declare: I am not ashamed.) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_8472
Also, it has severe pacing problems and yeah, a lot of it could've been edited out. I'm curious to hear (in the future Bluray's audio commentary) if this was intentional. For, when you go back to movies of our (or could just be my) era, it was pretty much the same thing. It generally took forever to get to the "goods." A perfect example is: Superman: The Movie.
When I was a kid, the same age as the boys/girl in this movie, I loved Superman II. Why? Because Superman shows up all-but immediately and there's tons of action. And yet, Superman: The Movie is 10x the film the first sequel was even though it takes well over an hour before Kal-El finds his tights.
These slow, plot-building/character-developing scenes were common in the 1970s, 1980s and probably before that. Okay, I get that, and I get the yearning to bring us all back. I don't think they needed to go that far.
So, I don't think I'll be seeing this again anytime soon â€“ I'm really testy when it comes to slow-moving films that would be better off with a higher speed, even though, I did have a ton of fun during this. The dialogue between the kids wasn't just REAL, but often enormously hilarious. Not to mention the acting/closeness/chemistry from the kids was genuine, namely from lead children Charles (Riley Griffiths â€“ who really channeled the heavier-set kid from the introduction in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) and lead Joe (Joel Courtney â€“ who is this generation's "Elliot" from E.T. He not only did a fantastic job here, he literally carried the entire movie with his acting, emotions and facial expressions. If I was a 13-year-old boy again, he would be the one I would both relate and yearn to be the most.)
I would highly recommend this fun movie. It does get darker and more violent as the movie progresses â€“ something it doesn't promise in the first half â€“ so, leave the little kids at home. If I were back to these kid's ages, when I absolutely loved films like this, I would probably watch this hundreds of times and love every minute of it, despite my "grown up" viewpoint nowadays.
Side Note: OHÂ…I forgotÂ…Don't forget to stay through 90% of the end credits. I knew to, thanks due a certain movie-review podcast, http://www.fatguysatthemovies.com/. I did see a lot, if not more than two-thirds of the audience, leave before the "surprise" finale during the end credits. Make sure you stick aroundÂ…if you really had a great time, like I did, it'll be enhanced in the conclusion.