Cloverfield
One word review:
Boring.
More than one word review:
I didn't think it possible to make a dull monster movie but I was very wrong. The premise of this film, a giant monster movie made from street level is brilliant and the mock-documentary idea isn't a bad one though it has consequences. The problems with the film are its horrible dialogue, its thoroughly unlikeable or uninteresting characters who were not well acted and lastly the fact that the film had no pacing. This may be partly because of the documentary, found footage style of the piece but Orson Welles managed to do real-time terror with his "War of the Worlds" adaptation so it can be done by skilled hands.
The shaky hand-held style of the camera work is OK, the trouble with it is that you soon mentally adjust to it being the norm and thus when the film-makers want to up the dramatic ante with more kinetic movement they have nowhere to go. Successful film-making works by juxtaposition and contrast and even the melancholic scenes in "Cloverfield" are shot in the frenzied manner of the action. It becomes normal and bland very fast.
I have other issues with specifics of the plot but they would put me in spoiler territory so I'll leave them for now. Suffice to say that this is 3/10 film and all those points go to the visual effects and the creature designers.
Boring.
More than one word review:
I didn't think it possible to make a dull monster movie but I was very wrong. The premise of this film, a giant monster movie made from street level is brilliant and the mock-documentary idea isn't a bad one though it has consequences. The problems with the film are its horrible dialogue, its thoroughly unlikeable or uninteresting characters who were not well acted and lastly the fact that the film had no pacing. This may be partly because of the documentary, found footage style of the piece but Orson Welles managed to do real-time terror with his "War of the Worlds" adaptation so it can be done by skilled hands.
The shaky hand-held style of the camera work is OK, the trouble with it is that you soon mentally adjust to it being the norm and thus when the film-makers want to up the dramatic ante with more kinetic movement they have nowhere to go. Successful film-making works by juxtaposition and contrast and even the melancholic scenes in "Cloverfield" are shot in the frenzied manner of the action. It becomes normal and bland very fast.
I have other issues with specifics of the plot but they would put me in spoiler territory so I'll leave them for now. Suffice to say that this is 3/10 film and all those points go to the visual effects and the creature designers.
scribbled hastily by Mr Atrocity at 11:14 am
4 Comments:
so, should we miss the movie?
Didn't do much for me, no. There are plenty who love it though.
Really? i was kind of looking forward to seeing it. I'll wait for the DVD release then.
Churlita, many other people I know really liked it. From the reviews I've read subsequently it does seem to be a film you love or hate.
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