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CS Weekly Archive> DVD > 4/25/08
Monster Mash
by dennis sampson
Cloverfield
Drew Goddard
 
More hype than substance, Cloverfield is an old-fashioned Godzilla film redressed in a shiny new suit. The story is simple: a monster (exactly what the hell this thing is, is anyone's guess) invades Manhattan, wreaking unimaginable havoc. What sets Cloverfield apart from so many stories like it is the way the tale is presented. Shot entirely handheld, Blair Witch-style, the actual narrative involves four ordinary 20-something Manhattanites who try to make it from downtown to uptown—in the midst of mortal danger—to rescue one of the foursome's significant others. The film's strongest point is this first-person point-of-view (one of the four holds the camera, documenting the action as it happens). As a result, we're never given the obligatory, conventional scene of "this is what the monster is" and "this is how we destroy it." This device is very effective, because really, after so many of these monster movies, who cares? Cloverfield excels at offering glimpses of the monster via video camera or televised news footage taken from circling helicopters. The movie's largest stumbling block, however, is its characters. It's not that they don't feel real (they do); it's that they come across as annoying. Other than hoping for another look at this never-before-seen beast, we couldn't really care less about the story. Eventually, the patina of the movie's storytelling gimmick begins to feel tired, and ultimately, handheld video or locked-down 75mm cinemascope, it's all about what gets crushed and who gets eaten. The DVD is stocked with extras, from featurettes to deleted scenes to alternate endings (although this last strains the word "alternate," as the differences are marginal). Director Matt Reeves' commentary offers the only insight into the movie's conception and writing process, and even there, we don't get much detail.
 Cloverfield
Paramount Home Entertainment
Rated PG-13; 84 min.
$29.99
Buy it now
Dennis Sampson is a commercial production coordinator and unproduced screenwriter. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his better half, Susan, and their dog Tripp.
Cloverfield courtesy Paramount Home Entertainment
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