Search - Cloverfield on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 1/2/2020...

The reality style camera shaking is a bit annoying at times but it is a novel suspenseful plotline. A must see for horror suspense fans!

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Tamara B. (ladycat713) from BELMONT, MS
Reviewed on 12/27/2013...

Not a bad film though all the shaking of the picture because it was from the perspective of people running from their lives holding a video camera triggered my motion sickness. So if you too have motion sickness , stay away. If you don't you'll be able to watch the movie and decide for yourself .

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Daniel W. from LANSING, MI
Reviewed on 9/22/2012...

I remember sitting in the theatre as the movie ended. I was confused because the movie had a nice build up and then a dud ending. I started wondering if there was a deeper message thrown out at us by the film makers. Nope.....nothing I could figure. Its like I wasted an hour and 45 minutes for no reason. What was the point for sitting there? The ending had no pay off whatsoever. Its like they just keep going, stringing the movie along on the fly, hoping that a great idea for an ending would come that never did. Dissapointing.

1 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.

Tony C. (elviszappa)
Reviewed on 6/14/2012...

Don't believe all of the negative reviews for this film.

Sit your bad self down. Turn on this film, and watch it for yourself.

"12 Angry Men" it ain't, but it is a great twist on the timeless Godzilla type monster movie. The special effects are excellent. There is real suspense.

1 of 6 member(s) found this review helpful.

Cloverfield won me over yet I see why people despise this

Jenny J.J.I. | That Lives in Carolinas | 09/08/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Now that all the hype has die down I was able to give this film an objective look. I have to admit I was impressed. This movie throws out the music, set-ups, and cheap scares out the window - in a good way. Nothing in this movie tells you you're watching a movie of course. You're completely disorientated from start to finish, completely uncomfortable and on edge. And that is a hell of an achievement in today's de-sensitized movie environment. While I didn't jump once, I did find myself clutching the chair arms at various points.

I see why viewers would fine this derivative but every monster movie cliché is in there, and so it should be. The monster destroys landmarks. The military fight the monster. News reports advancing the plot. But it's delivered with such style and such punch that you can't help but be awed. You're seeing these events on an ant's eye level. There are no sweeping special effects shots of the White House being demolished by aliens, no aerial shots of buildings being destroyed - instead we get distant, unidentifiable bangs, fires obscured by the cityscape, an enormous leg moving behind a skyscraper - and a distant object which comes hurtling through the air, finally landing amidst chaos in a street, revealing itself to be the head of the statue of liberty.

This personal touch goes deeper - characters disappear from the story, and we (the audience) don't know their fate because the main characters don't. To be honest, I don't know whether I love this or like it but I was impressed. The subway scene was probably the best bit for me, and the ending slightly disappointed. I really wish they had elaborated more on the bites but I suppose that wouldn't really have been in-keeping with the point of the movie, same theory as 'Alien'- it's scarier when you DON'T see the monster. Not that I'm saying this movie is scary in any way. As a horror fan, it takes a lot to scare me also.

The effects, with one or two exceptions (the money shot of the monster at the end springs to mind), are seamlessly integrated. A lifelong "effects spotter", I found myself not even noticing when something that MUST have been CGI was on screen. Beside that it's a good film and I have to give thanks to those who had given me the extra push to finally watch this. Recommended to those who need to kill there curiosity.

"

Its greatest asset is most people's biggest complaint

Raul Duke | Pittsburgh | 05/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The handheld camera.. or at leased they make it feel like one(theres good picture quality, but it still feels like a homemovie).. in my opinion it puts the viewer right there with the characters in the movie. there are very few examples for this subgenre, if thats what you want to call it. Blair Witch Project and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon come to mind.

this style of filming has been one of the best ideas in horror, because there are no other styles that make the terror and action feel so real. there were multiple times i got chills down my neck from this movie. its just.. intense.

but.. without the camerawork, it is little more than another monster movie, which isnt a bad thing. it would still be leagues above most in the genre.

it takes a little time to get to know the characters in the opening scenes. i found most of the characters very believable and engaging. i actually cared about their everyday lives, and past together.(the first time in a while a was fearing for characters lives. i usually like the "villains") it turns out one of our main characters is leaving to live in china or something for a while, and theres a surprise going away party for him. nows about the time to buckle your seatbelt..

simply put, this movie blew me away. the camera style locks you in for the ride, and wont let go till its over. my heart was racing throughout 90% of the movie. you really are right there with them, dealing with the situation in front of you.. it could be the wildest ride you ever have on the couch."

3.5 stars -- do the terrorists win this time?

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 01/21/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Cloverfield" is about equal parts 9/11, "Godzilla" and "The Blair Witch Project", with the latter providing the technical model, the center film providing the manifest content, and 9/11 providing the questions that are put forward and left unanswered by the film.

If you haven't heard, "Cloverfield" is the story of a group of 20-something Manhattanites whose late night party is spoiled by the arrival of a monster in New York that goes around killing people, knocking over tall buildings, collapsing bridges and wrecking things a la Godzilla.

The production is cleverly modeled after Blair Witch Project, with the entire 90 minutes of goings on filmed by a hand held camera. The computer-generated scenes of monsters, wreckage and the headless Statue of Liberty (check out the scene that comes up with this title) are all done very well. I doubt they took the computer-generated scenes then filmed them a second time with a moving camera to get the ship on the rolling seas affect; it was compelling however completed.

The narrative story is full of exciting moments, one of which -- a moment where the hero has saved a damsel in distress and escapes midst up close warfare between the giant and the military -- left my heart pounding and my breathing accelerated when quiet returned in the theatre. The sound effects also work to the advantage of this actioner, which won't be very cogent when you see it on your television unless you have a screen at least 60 inches across.

The storyline, as we know from films just like this one made half a century ago, isn't about an actual monster; it's about the war on terror. Just like the dinosaur that invaded New York in the 1953 sci-fi classic, "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" -- which was a metaphor for communism -- the monster that invades New York this time is the reincarnation of the 9/11 terrorists come for a return visit.

That beast from the 1950s was killed by the military and we were all saved from the ravages of communism. Here, the outcome is less clear. Because of the way the story is told, it is clear in the filmmakers mind that terrorists are winning this war, or at least making a dent in our way of life. Because of the way the movie ends, it is unclear if they think we (members of the good old U.S.A.) are making headway against our 21st century worldwide adversary.

Even without the metaphor, "Cloverfield" is an exciting afternoon at the theatre and, for people prone to seasickness, a wild and dizzying ride. If you choose to see this film, and discount the supplementary metaphor, this movie won't make much sense and will leave you frustrated. When you put all the parts together, you'll see it's a contemporary story told pretty well in the clothes worn a half-century in our past."