I just got back from it and I really enjoyed it. It doesn't change the world of cinema, but it's a really great take on the giant monster movie that shows what it's like to be one of the people on the ground screaming and running. In brief, it's like a survival horror movie. You can see some of the twists coming, but they're carried out well enough that it doesn't detract from the presentation. The entire thing is viewed via shakycam, so you're easily nauseated this might not be the movie for you. I was impressed by the techniques they used to substitute for more traditional shots and grand, city-wide pans that would have been afforded by regular camera work. The CGI is pretty good throughout, and works very well with the shakeycam perspective.
The characters are somewhat unlikable at first brush but they flesh out well amidst chaos, especially the cameraman, Hud. By the end you're really concerned about them getting the hell out of Manhattan, and when shit gets in their way/tries to kill them it feels genuinely dangerous.
As for the monster, it's really hard to describe. They did an excellent job revealing it slowly- I thought it was a number of different creatures before the film actually showed it in full, including an octopus/squid, giant praying mantis like thingy, and a dinosaur.
Cloverfield is pretty good
Re: Cloverfield is pretty good
It looks to me like the US Godzilla meets the Blair Witch Project. Both movies I hated.
Re: Cloverfield is pretty good
I saw it at the midnight screening two nights ago and mostly enjoyed it. I agree that it does a great job providing an immersive experience. At times you really do feel like you're there with the characters. I did have a couple issues with it though.
As a story, it does absolutely nothing new. I was puzzled as to what the point of the last 15 minutes were. Killing off the characters really did nothing to enhance the experience in my opinion. I walked away with the message that trying to save the one you love will only lead to catastrophe and will end up killing your friends. Beth honestly would have been more at peace dying ignorantly in her apartment as opposed to how she does finally die at the end.
I really admired that they went full throttle with the handcam technique and felt like it was successful for the most part. However there were definitely frustrating moments where the wobbling was headache inducing and restrictive. A little bit of wobble and more stable shots would have been enough. As an audience we really don't need a lot to be convinced that this is real. The theater I went to was actually offering refunds to people who got sick and couldn't finish the movie. Also you really start to wonder why the hell Hudd won't take the camera off his face even to run from shit.
The monster kinda looked like shit. It ended up being just a mishmash of flesh and joints, a generic looking alien invader that could have been from any movie, comic book, or video game. I didn't mind the little zerglings too much but again, they were kind of generic and straight out of metroid/resident evil 4. If the goal here was to create something as iconic as Godzilla, they failed miserably.
All in all, it was a pretty entertaining movie. It really does feel like a Universal Studios ride at times and I almost wish the seats moved with the action. It's a movie that knows its working with higher artistry than most movies of its kind but ends up being only slightly classier than a normal Godzilla flick.
As a story, it does absolutely nothing new. I was puzzled as to what the point of the last 15 minutes were. Killing off the characters really did nothing to enhance the experience in my opinion. I walked away with the message that trying to save the one you love will only lead to catastrophe and will end up killing your friends. Beth honestly would have been more at peace dying ignorantly in her apartment as opposed to how she does finally die at the end.
I really admired that they went full throttle with the handcam technique and felt like it was successful for the most part. However there were definitely frustrating moments where the wobbling was headache inducing and restrictive. A little bit of wobble and more stable shots would have been enough. As an audience we really don't need a lot to be convinced that this is real. The theater I went to was actually offering refunds to people who got sick and couldn't finish the movie. Also you really start to wonder why the hell Hudd won't take the camera off his face even to run from shit.
The monster kinda looked like shit. It ended up being just a mishmash of flesh and joints, a generic looking alien invader that could have been from any movie, comic book, or video game. I didn't mind the little zerglings too much but again, they were kind of generic and straight out of metroid/resident evil 4. If the goal here was to create something as iconic as Godzilla, they failed miserably.
All in all, it was a pretty entertaining movie. It really does feel like a Universal Studios ride at times and I almost wish the seats moved with the action. It's a movie that knows its working with higher artistry than most movies of its kind but ends up being only slightly classier than a normal Godzilla flick.
Re: Cloverfield is pretty good
I couldn't watch it for more than five minutes without feeling like I was going to hurl and having to close my eyes. After about 20 minutes I gave up and waited for my friends outside the theater. While I was sitting there about 20 other people left over the course of the movie.
The handicam perspective is a neat idea, but obviously one that's hard for some people to enjoy on the big screen for such an extended period of time. I guess maybe I'll give it another try when it's on DVD.
The handicam perspective is a neat idea, but obviously one that's hard for some people to enjoy on the big screen for such an extended period of time. I guess maybe I'll give it another try when it's on DVD.
Re: Cloverfield is pretty good
I just got back from seeing Cloverfield. For the most part, I really enjoyed it. Took me a moment to adjust to the camera work, but after that it wasn't much of a problem for me. I'm really glad that the monster wasn't some kind of Godzilla lizard-dinosaur thinger. It had an interesting design, to say the least. It really reminded me of something you might see in a Silent Hill game, only a few thousand times bigger.
Before seeing this, I heard some people bitching on the radio about how they hated the ending, so I was kind of expecting something... well, unlike what we got. I was pleased with how the movie ended. Had it been any different or ended on an upbeat note, I probably would've been disappointed. It kind of reminded me of how I felt at the end of The Mist. I loved the ending to that movie, wouldn't have had it any other way, but it hit you in the gut. Hard. Only this one didn't hit nearly as hard since it didn't have some big twist to it.
Before seeing this, I heard some people bitching on the radio about how they hated the ending, so I was kind of expecting something... well, unlike what we got. I was pleased with how the movie ended. Had it been any different or ended on an upbeat note, I probably would've been disappointed. It kind of reminded me of how I felt at the end of The Mist. I loved the ending to that movie, wouldn't have had it any other way, but it hit you in the gut. Hard. Only this one didn't hit nearly as hard since it didn't have some big twist to it.
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THEbigLANDMAN
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Re: Cloverfield is pretty good
Yesterday was the Spanish première so I went to see it, I enjoyed it, and also think the ending was the correct one.
If you got got sick of the camera then I don't recommend you [REC] witch is more excessive and it also has blood and gore (and it's really frightening lol). I don't expect much of the American remake
If you got got sick of the camera then I don't recommend you [REC] witch is more excessive and it also has blood and gore (and it's really frightening lol). I don't expect much of the American remake