An exercise in panic, trepidation and confusion all trampled into one, Matt Reeves’ Cloverfield is also a prime example of why first-person narratives through the use of a handheld camera often result in calculably disappointing conclusions. But a squabble about plot points aside, the film is an electrifying ride, albeit a short-lived one. If the abrupt cuts and hasty zooms don’t give you a headache, they’ll certainly sharpen your senses in this frighteningly authentic recreation of surviving a monster attack in New York. It is, in fact, as close to the real thing as imaginable.

A tape is recovered from the disaster of the “Cloverfield” event, in which a group of partiers celebrate the last night Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) is in town, before he leaves for Japan. He struggles over a sour relationship with hopeful girlfriend Elizabeth McIntyre (Odette Yustman) while best friend Hud (T.J. Miller) videotapes all of the events of the celebration. As the group tries to console the frustrated Rob, a nearby explosion flings the partiers into a panic, and before long, the streets below their Manhattan apartment are littered with debris and the demolished, decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty. As the army moves in to evacuate the terrified civilians, Rob decides he must journey deeper into the warzone to help Beth, who is trapped in a toppled apartment building. Hud, Lily (Jessica Lucas) and Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) accompany him, unwittingly uncovering the shocking horrors that launched the massive destruction of the once great city.

Cloverfield works on many levels, but most important is its mastery in creating atmosphere.  Thanks to excellent special effects, brilliant sets, and that ever-so-shaky camera, the audience will feel as if they’re escaping the monstrous threat right alongside the film’s characters.  Clever cuts and segues keep the pacing tight and the foreboding sense of an inescapable fate presides over the whole affair.  Panicked crowds, demolished streets, and an insufficient military presence help maintain the realism of a catastrophic attack on a populated city.  In fact, if it weren’t for the gigantic creature careening through the scenery, Cloverfield might not divulge its science-fiction origins at all.

Oddly, the monster itself is one of Cloverfield’s only weaknesses.  From afar and during brief glimpses before it disappears behind skyscrapers, the hobbling beast provides adequate awe and evokes a juggernautish paranoia, but upon closer inspection the design appears too awkward with a forced alien appearance.  Moving with the clumsy ambulation of a grounded vampire bat, the monster also conjures the notion of a giant hairless space monkey; much of this is due to its infantile state and the inherent lack of dexterity (something that can only be learned through behind-the-scenes discussions with creature designer Neville Page).  Strange red pulsing orbs atop its head don’t match and certainly don’t help carry a countenance of terror.  Sometimes, less truly is more.  

- The Massie Twins

 

DVD Special Features:

Most of the special features from the DVD are present on the Blu-ray disc, with the addition that many of them have been upgraded to a high definition presentation. The commentary track by director Matt Reeves returns, as does the making of Cloverfield documentary, Cloverfield’s visual effects featurette, the deleted scenes, outtakes and alternate endings. The best new features is the Special Investigation Mode, which plays the movie in the corner of the screen, while a GPS tracker, creature radar and military intelligence notes pop up on screen to signify where the characters are located and what they’re doing during the attack. A short featurette on the creation and design of the monster is also included, ported over from the DVD release.

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