So my last review was of the 1998 remake of Godzilla, and if you read it you might have noticed the many references to cloverfield I made. Hell I even said the original title for cloverfield should be the name of the Godzilla remake. Why did I keep comparing it to cloverfield? Because Godzilla 1998 is pretty much cloverfield zero. Monster attacks new york and the military tries fruitlessly to stop it. But is it as good as it's spiritual successor?
Well first off let's get to the basics. Cloverfield was made because producer J.J Abrams didn't feel America had a true iconic monster like japan did. So that's what they set out to make. Did they? Well, more or less yes, they did. Godzilla was a metaphor for the atomic bomb, where the Japanese, no matter how advance their laser weapons are, can't stop it, much like how despite having more experience in war the Japanese still lost to America in world war II. Cloverfield lives off of the hysteria and disorganization of 9/11. how?
Well cloverfield is done in the “found footage” type of movies, where the movie is done from one hand held camera and displayed as if it was just found on the street. The camera is held by a group of civilians trying to escape the city during the monster’s attack, showing the fear and hysteria in the public, despite how quickly the military addresses the issue, it's obvious to the civilians they aren't having much effect.
Much like the first Godzilla cloverfield follows a group of people during the monster's attack, but focuses on the people instead of the monster. So, let's get to the plot.
The movie starts with Jason Hawkins preparing for a party with his girlfriend Lily. After a few shots of them gathering snacks the tape cuts to the party where Jason gives the camera to his friend Hud, who goes to record testimonials for their friend Rob, who is apparently leaving for his new job in japan. Rob shows up and rumors spread that rob slept with his best friend Beth, leading to an argument between the two. Beth leaves the party and Jason and Hud try to cheer him up.
There's a short power outage and the news reports that an oil taker has capsized near liberty island. After an explosion nearby the party the group leaves the apartment and rush to the street. The group of party goers as well as some people on the street the statue of liberty's head crashes to the street nearby. Rob and Hud meet up with lily, Jason, and Marlena, a friend of lily's who Hud tries to hit on (unsuccessfully), decide to leave together.
Halfway across the bridge Jason runs a head of the group, and is crushed by a tail that destroys the bridge. Luckily the others manage to get off the bridge before it falls in the water. Rob gets a call from Beth, who went to her apartment after her argument with rob. Beth asked rob to help her as she sis tuck before the call cuts out, and the group decides they have to go and save her.
From here on out the group encounters the military mid combat with the monster several times on out, but it never seems they are doing any damage. This is possible symbolism for the fact that despite is superior military might America doesn't seem to be winning the war in Iraq.
I won't ruin the ending for you, but it's definitely intense, and quite a lot happens in the last ten minutes.
So is it any good? Well, the acting is okay. Other than Hud no one seems to have their heart in it and in fact Hud is the only person who even speculates on what the creature is. The acting isn't horrible but it isn't Oscar winning either.
What about the plot? Well it's pretty basic too. Even it's predecessor Godzilla had a neat plot device near the end, the nest, but cloverfield really doesn't have that. Well not in the film. However, in the internet there's a whole new mythology, where'd the monster come from what exactly is it? Go to any message board related to the movie and you'll find a dozen theories about it.
So the plot has a very interactive feel and the acting is adequate, anything else? Yes. This movie, for the last few years, was my favorite movie. Why? I really had no expectations. My mom rented it one day and I watched it out of boredom, and feel in love with it.
This movie personifies everything about not just 9/11, but the entire Iraq war. The hysteria in the public, the military's almost worthless reaction, and even the ending alludes to this event being far from over ,much like the war was when the movie came out and even today.
Godzilla failed because it was an original story with a long known brand name on it and no disaster to feed off of, cloverfield is free of all these restraints, which is why it's a five star film. Even if you don't like symbolism, it's still an entertaining romp.
