Cloverfield (2008)

Michael Stahl-David and Odette Yustman look at a video camera in Cloverfield

by Gary Sundt

As Printed in The Lumberjack on January 24, 2008

“Good luck in Japan, Rob… OH MY GOD! WHAT WAS THAT!? RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! OH MY GOD!”

This is essentially the script for Cloverfield, the new film from director Matt Reeves, and the brainchild of Lost creator and mega-producer J.J. Abrams. It features a vicious monster rampaging throughout New York City as seen through the home video camera of a small pack of survivors.

Now, as a film critic, I can safely say I’ve seen New York get blowed up. I’ve seen it get blowed up real good. Whether via alien space ships, population explosion, disease, ghosts, terrorists, tidal waves, asteroids, riots, King Kong, Godzilla or global warming, Hollywood never ceases to invent new ways of destroying the Big Apple. When it comes to Cloverfield, the decision was not to destroy New York with the standard visual flare. Rather, the powers-that-be have chosen to assault the audience with a shaky camera (or “Queasy-Cam,” as the technique has been dubbed) the likes of which have not been seen since The Blair Witch Project.

Now don’t take this as a bad thing. The film manages to be a pretty terrifying flick, mostly thanks to the affects of Queasy-Cam. Sure, the main characters are a group of 20-something cardboard cutouts, but that’s okay. They are our eyes of this catastrophe, and we thank them for their sacrifice. Unless you have vertigo or epilepsy, you’ll probably have a great time.

Cloverfield begins innocently enough with a farewell surprise party for Rob (Michael Stahl-David), who is about to leave the city for a vice president job in Japan. At the party, Hud (T.J. Miller) is given the responsibility of taping all the farewells and so longs. Among those saying good luck is Rob’s brother Jason (Mike Vogel), Jason’s fiancé Lily (Jessica Lucas), and Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), a girl whom Hud is smitten with. Then comes the arrival of Rob’s best friend Beth (Odette Yustman), and there appears to be some major drama a’brewin’. However, all that is put aside when an earthquake hits the building and a news report informs the partygoers that something wicked this way comes.

The destruction and mayhem is first seen from a distance, but quickly comes Statue-of-Liberty’s-head first into the lives of our innocent 20-somethings. Smoke billows and shoots toward our cameraman. Explosions rock the immediate area. Then we see a glimpse of the latest creation to lay siege to Manhattan Island.

The monster, it should be noted, is an impressive one. Even when seen outright, the beast is both a terrifying and awe-inspiring creation. Moreover, this behemoth is traveling with a personal army of what Google has informed me is giant “parasitic lice,” which have a predilection toward eating those who survive the chaos caused by their former host. Cloverfield supports the theory that the people of New York City can survive anything… almost. Our mindless 20-somethings run from the monster and his lice, and then go back into the city to save Beth from one high-rise building that is leaning against another.

There is a moment in which Rob tells the audience, “If you found this, if you’re watching this then you probably know more about it than I do.” Fortunately I didn’t. Those who followed the viral campaign all the way until 1-18-08 (the film’s 9/11-erific original title) probably know a heck of a lot more than both of us. However, I prefer it this way. Going in, all I really knew was what the trailer had made very clear: that “it’s alive!” and “it’s huge!” I had a lot more fun because of my ignorance.

After the screening, though, Cloverfield raised some questions. How does the camera battery last for 12 hours? Where Hud finds the wherewithal to keep the camera in hand is beyond me, but I excuse this in the presumption that it is required to tell the story. But how does this camera survive at the film’s ending? What was that thing that fell into the East River just before the… never mind. If you have an answer to any of these, write a letter to the editor.

Note: in the trailers before Cloverfield, there was a trailer for 10,000 B.C., the new film from director Roland Emmerich. Emmerich has made a career out of coming up with clever ways to destroy New York City (Independence Day, 1998’s Godzilla, The Day After Tomorrow) and unless his latest picture is stupider than I already anticipate, he will not have the opportunity this time around. Thus, it was only appropriate to find his trailer at the head of this film.

Running time: 84 minutes. Directed by Matt Reeves. Produced by J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk. Written by Drew Goddard. Starring Michael Stahl-David, T.J. Miller, Mike Vogel, Jessica Lucas, Lizzy Caplan and Odette Yustman. A Paramount Pictures release.