Matt Reeve's Cloverfield

Cloverfield is really about as good as the trailers lead you to believe. It's a monster/disaster film from a first person perspective that joyfully exploits its gimmick.  It does not have the most original or in depth plot but it serves its purpose and we as an audience can color ourselves thrilled.

There is a short lead in of about 20 minutes that is fairly generic and then the film goes into full on panic mode. The CG is effective and at times downright cool looking. The amount of monster in the films is actually quite small but it works for the overall feel of the film. The film balances between the main monster battle and the central characters odyssey like journey throughout the city. I wouldn't go as far to call the film scary but, I would definitely say its intense. 

Comparisons to Blair Witch will probably run through many heads. The filming is not as jarring or as spontaneous as Blair Witch and has a much more calculated feel while still somewhat maintaining the amateur look. It is my guess that Cloverfield will probably cause less motion sickness than Blair witch and in turn alienate a few less viewers.

Monster films have had a nice little resurgence lately with The Host and now Cloverfield. Basically if you actually wanted the Emmerich Godzilla to be good, this was the film you were looking for. 

3/5 "Its pretty good."