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Cloverfield
By You | January 22, 2008
The trailers were suspenseful, enticing, exciting. Promises of amazing special effects — yet another but better version of my beloved NYC being exploded, torn down, bombed, attacked by a giant, unseen monster. Though little detail was available, just the special effects whore in me felt like Cloverfield would rocket to the top of my favorites list.
After seeing this disaster (of a) film all I can say with all confidence that I got more enjoyment and entertainment out of the Tom Cruise pyscho-Scientologist on crack videos than Cloverfield, and those videos were free on Google, not $11.50 a person. Yes, the special effects were amazing. Yes, they came up with new and exciting ways to show Manhattan being destroyed. That’s pretty much where it ends.
No plot to speak of. The plot you could discern was dumb, made no sense, and served only to showcase the special effects. Without really any spoilers — because really, there’s nothing to spoil — the only thing you’re really doing is watching some people you don’t care about navigate the special effects. Other than brief glances at a cool looking monster, you’re told nothing about what it is, where it came from, what happens to it after the small bit of film you’ve seen. Most all of the movie is filmed in that Blair Witch Project style of “reality” jumpy/jerky camera, which has apparently been causing the same bouts of motion sickness in theaters. We had to dodge at least one pile of vomit on our way out of the theater. The name doesn’t even make sense. IMDB trivia says its name comes from the name of the street on which the production company is located. Um, what?
The whole mess is a serious self-indulgent piece of crap that will probably make a lot of money due to clever marketing as opposed to quality movie making. But of course, that’s what our society is about these days. Form over substance. A few clever CGI guys make up a scary looking monster, and all of a sudden it’s a blockbuster movie. It’s sad more than anything else, really. Save your money, or better yet, go see I Am Legend. The special effects may not be as flashy, but they’re cooler and better, and there’s a gripping plot to go along with them.
Topics: Mass Media |
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