Newest monster movie goes beyond playing it safe
By Emmanuel Casillas, Staff Writer
Call it the “Blair Witch” or the monster flick tailor-made for the Youtube crowd, but don’t call “Cloverfield” producer J.J. Abrams’ much-hyped scare-fest, playing it safe. From the moment a terrifying Godzilla-esque horror arrives in Manhattan to annihilate everything in its path, all “caught” on one civilian’s digicam, the fear is palpable. It’s enough to cause whiplash. Unfortunately, much of that visceral pandemonium gets bogged down by the attempt to make the no-name cast something to care for. This monster movie has more than screams on its mind, but it does not quite achieve the profundity it’s aiming for.
Famed producer J.J. Abrams (TV’s “Lost” and the upcoming “Star Trek” remake) is out to explore the lingering fears of 9/11 by presenting a scenario of chaos devoid of politics and even motive, with the McGuffin, the giant ugly destroying Manhattan, providing the raw terror that may bring catharsis to a post-9/11 world. It’s risky business, for sure, but also borderline exploitative.
The fact that the film is a rush of thrills, sounds, and strange parasitic creatures will likely distract audiences from any deeper meaning. Abrams is also a major Godzilla fan, something that definitely won’t be lost on viewers.
First, we get a party, which introduces us to the first-time-out amateur cast, a group of young yuppies celebrating their friend Rob (Michael Stahl-David) moving to Japan. Rob’s brother, Jason (Mike Vogel), gives their friend Hud (T.J. Miller) the task of recording testimonials from the guests, which include Jason’s girlfriend Lily (Jessica Lucas). Things get a little sour for Rob when the girl he’s leaving, Beth (Odette Yustman), shows up with a new guy in tow. Hud, our cameraman, takes some time out to flirt with Marlena (Lizzy Caplan, who brings some much-needed energy to the cast). For the whole 15 minutes that screenwriter Drew Goddard (who worked with Abrams on “Lost” and “Alias”) has us spend with these characters, they are nothing more than filler. It’s baffling that an Abrams project would give us such vapid characters.
Thankfully, the monster shows up, and Rob and his pals attempt to rescue Beth at her apartment. Then the technical showboating begins, as director Matt Reeves (who also collaborated with Abrams on “Felicity”) and cinematographer Michael Bonvillain (Hud himself also shot some footage) do their best to create a chaotic event that feels genuine and lived-in. For the most part, they get the job done, even catching glimpses of nuanced destruction (such as a horse pulling an empty carriage down the street) that hints at the heart the movie is in search of.
The effect is dizzying, but it holds you enthralled. The only thing getting in the way is the fact that Hud is apparently taping over Rob and Beth enjoying a day in Coney Island that we sometimes see pop up. It’s cheap.
Similar material has worked to better effect in Bong Joon-Ho’s “The Host”, which featured a spectacular monster, as well as characters we could really get behind. I strongly recommend it.
Abrams’ “Cloverfield”, named for a military base set up in Central Park, serves up a great amount of suspense, shock, and thrills, but it stalls where it wants to be deep.
Still, in the first two months of the new year in which the studios drop all of their leftover rap in our local multiplexes (“Meet The Spartans”), “Cloverfield” is one for the movie-goers seeking escapist heaven and something to stick with them long after they’ve left the theater.
