ViewGuide

Created Jan 22, 2008 02:12PM PST • Edited May 27, 2010 10:08PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Perfect 5.0

   (SPOILER FREE REVIEW!)
   
   
   Did Cloverfield live up to the extremely huge hype it’s accumulated throughout the last seven months since the first teaser? YES IT DID! It lived up to the hype and exceeded all of my expectations. The acting, the visuals, the story, the monster, they were all very unexpected and different but they all worked terrifically together. The story is simple which is good because there’s enough going on and we don’t need complicated sub-plots and twists. The story goes:
   
   
   A group of friends attending a farewell party find themselves and the island of Manahttan under attack from “something.” Armed only with a hand-held camcorder, the friends stick together to save each other and try to make it out of Manhattan alive.
   
   
   The story is so much better than Godzilla, Kong, Boa vs Python. Instead of watching the movie from the point of view of the people that know what’s going on, we’re put in the line of fire between the military and the monster. We have no idea what it is, where it came from, or what is being done to kill it. We, like the characters, are just watching it all go down all around us.

4. Acting

   Perfect 5.0

   The acting done by the cast of unknowns was magnificent. When the characters are in pain or are sad, you feel for them because all of the characters seem so realistic. They don’t even seem like characters. They all appear like everday people like you and me. My girlfriend was getting really emotional as was I when you see some of the characters wanting to give it up. They’ve been through so much to get this far, and you don’t want to see them quit. You want to see them get up, keep going, and survive. Really great acting!!!

5. Male Stars Perfect 5.0

6. Female Stars Perfect 5.0

7. Female Costars Perfect 5.0

8. Male Costars Perfect 5.0

10. Film

    Perfect 5.0

    I have no idea what kind of budget Cloverfield had, but whatever it was, it definitely shows. The effects, the monster, it all seems so real. The first attack is (especially for New Yorkers like me) very upsetting. We see quite a few New York landmarks destoryed and it felt almost like watching 9/11 all over again. Even after that, the effects are great. The path of destruction that the monster leaves behind is unbelievable. We already know that the destruction would be great considering the beginning of the trailer says, “Camera retrieved at incident site US 447, formerly known as Central Park.” Yeah that’s not good. You will see by the end of the movie why it’s called, CLOVERFIELD. After the attacks, you can pretty much assume that Manhattan is nothing but a cloverfield. Nothing left standing and silent.

11. Direction Perfect 5.0

    It starts off a little slow but it’s okay because we’re surrounded by people that we easily relate to and some of them are pretty humorous. Once the first “quake” hits, that’s the last time the movie will be slow. After that, hang on because it’s non-stop all the way through to the end.

12. Play Perfect 5.0

    Most of the lines spoken in CLOVERFIELD were ad-lib. JJ Abrams felt that in order to really get the point across that his movie was filmed by a bunch of young everyday people and not actors or unreal characters, he had them act out how they would feel in the situation they were in. It worked really well. Some of the movie was scripted and you can definitely tell when those parts are spoken. It’s still not bad though.

13. Music Perfect 5.0

    No music at all. There’s some songs duringthe farewell party but once the power goes out and the attack ensues, there is no score nor music of any sorts. Even during the credits at the end, there is no music, only radio chatter and static which makes it a little eerie.

14. Visuals Perfect 5.0

    Again, the visuals are amazing yet disturbing. Seeing Manhattan island look the way it did in this movie was heavy (no there’s no problem with the Earth’s gravitational pull). The military attacks on the monster are loud, kick a$$, and look like they’re right out of a war movie. The monster itself is very unique and unlike anything you have ever seen before. I won’t describe its appearance to you because you should go see the movie and see it for yourself. BTW, if you do decide to watch this movie, go to a theater and don’t watch it on your computer. It’s worth the money!
    
    
    
    
    Of course, one of the biggest complaints I’ve heard about this movie is the camera movement. It’s really not bad at all. Blair Witch was ten times worse and most of the jittery movements were unecessary and confused me of what was going on in BLAIR WITCH. In CLOVERFIELD, the movement proves that the guy recording isn’t a professional cameraman and gives the movie that look like it was someone recording a spectacular yet horrifying event.

15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.8

    The cursing, blood, and destruction really make this movie quite violent. It’s not like Hellraiser or Friday the 13th. It’s more realistic which makes it all the more violent. There is no sexual references which is good because it is uneeded and unwanted in CLOVERFIELD.
    
    
    * If you’re from New York or lost someone in 9/11, be prepared, this movie does have disturbing images and really hit close to home on those subjects. *

17. Sex Titillating 1.8

18. Violence Fierce 1.8

19. Rudeness Salty 1.8

21. Reality

    Surreal 3.0

    Even though the idea of a monster attacking Manahttan is far fetched and unreal, the way the movie is presented and the terrifying events that happen in the movie feel very real. At times, I really did think I was watching real footage from a monster attack on New York City.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 3.0

23. Biological Surreal 3.0

24. Physical Surreal 3.0