Cloverfield (2008)

By Dashel
in Movie Ratings

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Grand Master

Boz

Posted
Posted

I don't think that people understand the essence of this movie. I have not seen it but judging from what I've seen and read in reviews i think it's not really a monster movie. The monster creates a sense of urgency and danger, hopelessness and death, but it was not the main point of the movie as far I as I understand.

I like how James Berardinelli a top critic from RottenTomatoes.com (71% btw for the movie) summarizes the movie:

It's necessary to cut through the hype to get to the real Cloverfield. I'm not sure the way it is being marketed does it justice. The movie is interesting because it's so damn different. It takes a worn concept and invigorates it by applying an innovative approach. The style will anger and offend some viewers but, if you're able to accommodate the camera, the movie delivers. There are moments of high tension and the sense of danger feels closer and more real than in any recent motion picture. The missteps - the greatest of which is the interminable introduction - are forgivable because the payoff is strong. In some ways, Cloverfield gives the impression of having been produced on a low budget, but the special effects are first rate. The monster and the devastation it causes look real. We believe. And, ultimately, that's the reason why Cloverfield works - because this film takes you into the heart of the maelstrom and leaves you there.
Proficient

thenut

Posted
Posted
Heh. Ummmm. Good question. I'd save the free ticket, personally.

Noooooooo. :(

That bad? I guess I'll think it over until tomorrow night. I can't help but think I'll like it but I said the same thing with I Am Legend and it wasn't nearly as good as I had hoped it would be.

Theres some big movies out this year so its up to you really.

I know that. :p But as a J.J. Abrams fan I wanted to see this movie the second it was released.

Grand Master

.Markus

Posted
Posted
Noooooooo. :(

That bad? I guess I'll think it over until tomorrow night. I can't help but think I'll like it but I said the same thing with I Am Legend and it wasn't nearly as good as I had hoped it would be.

I know that. :p But as a J.J. Abrams fan I wanted to see this movie the second it was released.

Well, You either go and see it in the cinema or you don't... No point going to the cinema paying for your ticket when you got freebies already... And I doubt this film will look nearly as stunning even on a good HDTV.. :)

Proficient

thenut

Posted
Posted
Well, You either go and see it in the cinema or you don't... No point going to the cinema paying for your ticket when you got freebies already... And I doubt this film will look nearly as stunning even on a good HDTV.. :)

Welp, I wouldn't be paying to see it in theaters at all. I'm either using the free tickets or waiting until it's released in stores. ;)

I'm just trying to decide whether or not it's worth using the free tickets on. Have to make sure the girlfriend won't give me a hard time about using free tickets on a movie I ended up not liking. :laugh:

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QuantumTrickery

Posted
Posted

Saw it the other night at an advanced screening. It wasn't horrible, it wasn't good either. Just fell right in the middle of the road. Disappointing, especially considering the hype machine behind it. I'd recommend waiting for it as a rental, not worth much more than that.

6/10

Mentor

mattrobs

Posted
Posted

Thing about my cinema is their framerate is terrible. Any panning just looks choppy. This movie seems to have a lot of quick panning. Is it worth it on the big screen? Some movies have lots of detail in one shot that the cinema really brings out. Would you say Cloverfield is any of those?

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Mrcookjr

Posted
Posted

Just got back form the midnight showing of Cloverfield. Let me preface this by saying I wasn't one of the people that was drawn in by the mystery of what the movie was about. But since everyone else wanted to see it, I did my lemming thing. :)

Of course it's filmed with a Handicam so it took me about 10 minutes to get used to the jolting back and forth. A good thing is you only have to wait about 15 minutes before the action starts. It was pretty much action packed throughout the whole film and had a big focus on the people involved. You DO get to see a lot of the antagonist, so you don't have to worry that they only show it at the end.

I don't want to give away too much, so I'll just say that as an updated old-school monster movie, I'll give it a 4 ouf of 5. I'm not too sure about the replay value of it yet. Ask me in the morning!

*Edit* Yes that says Sneal. Someone please fix that lol?

Veteran

nexx

Posted
Posted

Saw it a few hours ago. Awesome movie.

The closest I could compare this movie to is that long scene in Children of Men where the camera is running through the streets. Cloverfield is 1.5hrs of that only with a whole lot more screaming and killing. It's a really intense experience. Due to the style (handycam) you'll either be completely drawn in, or you'll probably hate everything about it.

I didn't follow the hype of the movie. The monster isn't anything special, it's pretty generic. But this movie isn't about the monster, it's about a group of people and it's really, really well executed.

9/10

Grand Master

Hurmoth

Posted
Posted

Saw it last night and I'll break it down:

Monster: 5/5 stars (absolutely awesome monster)

Sounds/Score: 3.5/5 stars (the parasites actually sound like they're saying, "NOM NOM NOM")

Plot: 5/5 stars

Story: 3/5 stars

Graphics: 5/5 stars (absolutely awesome CGI)

This film can't be compared to Jurassic Park. While I didn't like the film Jurassic Park, I realize it's contributions to the film industry and this film isn't a classic and never will be.

With that said, I will probably watch this film only one more time and that's so I can pause it on my HDTV when it comes out on Blu-Ray.

Overall, the film gets 4.5/5.

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