The Two Headed Monster

Around the release of Cloverfield I decided to make a few cheap shots. I was pretty skeptical of all the hype it was receiving mostly due to Snakes on a Plane. Both received a considerable amount of attention, the only difference is that Snakes on a Plane couldn’t take that hype and translate it into box office receipts. After Cloverfield was released I realized I couldn’t knock on it anymore. Call it flip flopping or call it a change of heart, either way I saw the light. I decided not to pass anymore judgments until I saw it myself. Before you continue reading: I will be discussing many plot points of the film in detail. If you haven’t seen it yet and don’t want it spoiled, I suggest stopping here.

The success of Cloverfield can be accredited to the overwhelming amount of mystery it produced. People knew it involved a handheld camera, a party, and a monster but were left in the dark in many respects. This can be kind of misleading if you’re expecting a tremendous amount of action. The most rewarding aspect of the film occurs when things slow down and you really find out who these characters are. This is where my title comes into play. There are two very distinct ways to look at Cloverfield. You can weigh most of your opinion on the realistic elements or just enjoy what’s given to you.

For those of you dying for an ultra realistic monster movie, look no further. It skips the explanation and strategic planning, and puts you into the most familiar situation possible — the hands of the public. With that said, Cloverfield still has its flaws with realism. The camera is handed off to Hud (T.J. Miller) early on in the movie and he quickly becomes your narrator for much of the film. Hud has a major flaw, he can’t get into character and come to terms with what’s going on around him. I welcomed his witty remarks for much of the film but once people started dying it became distracting. I can’t picture a person in his situation finding time to think of these constructed lines. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a fun experience you’ll probably think this is a great addition. He has genuinely funny things to say in any given situation without sounding like a professional comedian.

Everyone’s major worry about Cloverfield was the sporadic camera handling. Some areas of the film are especially affected by this tactic but not how you’d think. It’s more confusing than nauseating. You don’t ever lose a total sense of what’s going on, you just start wondering when the camera will be picked up again. Basically these moments act as calling cards for when something terrible is happening.

The camera also affects the story itself. You’ll receive various glimpses at the life of Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) and his longtime friend Beth (Odette Yustman). Through a series of short events before the attack you quickly find out that Rob and Beth recently got together. The only problem is that he’s already made a commitment to a job in Japan. After some consoling from his brother Jason (Mike Vogel), Rob decides he loves Beth — then disaster strikes. While attempting to escape the city Rob receives an alarming phone call from Beth and finds out she’s trapped in her apartment. Rob’s love turns into a motive and he decides he’ll stop at nothing to save her. His friend’s can’t let him go in alone and tag along to make sure nothing bad happens.

The story unravels in a surprisingly believable fashion, leaving little room criticism. A little room, in this case, is a little too much because some elements are a little out there. Despite being impaled by a metal rod Beth survives and seems remarkably strong considering what she’s been through. Actually, all of the characters spend little time worrying about much of anything. “Oh, you got injured? Don’t worry I’ll tie your belt around it and presto! You’re as good as new!”

As expected the monster remains completely foreign throughout the entire movie. The military is obviously facing problems trying to find a way to destroy it. The group could careless at this point and focus on the task at hand. They don’t waste valuable time coming up with scientific theories or a master plan to bring it down. When the initial strikes occur during the party you hear some guests even thinking “is this another terrorist attack?” instead of “how are we going to kill this thing?” Maybe it’s a no brainer to add that response, but those little things made the situation more believable and ultimately more entertaining.

When you put all the little parts of Cloverfield together it makes a generally enjoyable film. If you get hung up on realism then you may find some problems with the characters and plot developments throughout the movie. However, if you’re just looking for a fun couple of hours then you’ll find there hasn’t been much competition in this genre for quite some time. It’s not the best monster movie ever but it certainly is amusing.