Gamernode: Columns - DVD Review: Cloverfield

DVD Review: Cloverfield

Cloverfield surprised critics when it opened to a tremendous box office, taking in nearly $50 million; it surprised them once again when the film's gross dropped 68% in its second week.

The hand-cam "Blair Witch meets Godzilla" picture is a unique one, that's for sure. Numerous people complained of the shakiness and feeling nauseous in theaters, a reason several of my friends had for refusing to see the movie. Now that it's viewable on the tiny screen, will people who passed it over in theaters give it another shot?

For their sake, I hope so. Lots of people criticized Cloverfield for not being as awesome as they imagined-the monster didn't wreck as much shit as they hoped. But that isn't what Cloverfield is about at all. The plot (which isn't anything too fantastic) revolves around Rob, a New York man about to head off to Japan for a new job as vice president of a company. (If you paid attention to the viral marketing or check out Wikipedia, you'll find all sorts of connections with Rob's future company and the movie that otherwise never show up.) At his going away party-thrown by his little brother Jason's steady girlfriend Lily-he's forced to confront his longtime friend and unrequited love, Beth. The group's friend and cameraman Hud films the events of the party, and after a loud explosion and some frightening earthquakes, he continues filming the ordeal.

Obviously it was no ordinary earthquake. Some sort of monster is attacking New York City, an idea not foreign to anyone who has ever even heard of Godzilla. Hud continues to film as the group tries to escape ("People have to see this," he tells Jason) and as the shit begins to hit the fan. Just as they seem poised to escape, they're forced back onto Manhattan, and Rob receives a terrifying call from Beth. What follows is the story of the group as they go back for Beth at Rob's insistence.

Unlike other monster movies, Cloverfield doesn't focus on the scientists, the why, or the destruction. Rather than Godzilla, we spend 80 minutes following those people who run around screaming "Godzilla!" only to be crushed by a falling building or an errant tail. It's a unique perspective which hasn't been done before in any film, and it works if you recognize that. Cloverfield isn't about the monster attacking the city: it's about the people and how they react to a monster attacking the city. More than that, it's about how a man would react if a monster was attacking the city, and the girl he loves needs to be saved when no one else will help her.

Basically, it's like The Notebook but for guys and with shit that blows up.

While the main movie is fantastic-although not quite as magnificent as it was in theaters due to the smaller screen-the special features are so-so. The one-disc set doesn't leave a lot of room, and with the sparse selection it shows. There is a behind-the-scenes Making Of type featurette as well as one about the visual effects, but only the former is worth really watching. It's fun seeing how they set up some of the hand-cam scenes (the actors really did hold the camera for the most part, in case you were wondering) and it's especially funny to see the filming of the party scene. With the sound added in later, what seems like Hud and Jason yelling over crowds is in reality the two yelling in complete silence while a room of people pretends to party. Funny stuff, and it shows that even with the extras Hud is the man in Cloverfield.

What's sadly missing is any and all references to the viral marketing for the movie. Even a simple copy-paste of the viral descriptions on Wikipedia would have opened a whole new dimension to Cloverfield for most viewers, but instead things in the movie are left unexplained, and connections are left untied. It's a shame, because Cloverfield easily had one of the most intensive and informative viral campaigns I've ever seen. I can't even imagine what the movie must be like without my knowledge of all that stuff...

CONTENT: 4/5

Cloverfield will never win any awards, and it should never crack someone's Top Movies of All Time (or even 2007/8) lists. That being said, there's no denying the movie is a fantastic one worth watching at least once. The story is much more than kaiju fans expected, and much deeper than most of the moviegoing public expected. If you passed over the movie because it was a stupid monster movie, give it a shot, because it's a lot more.

VIDEO: 3/5

It's hard to judge video in a movie filmed with hand-cams, especially with so much action going on. Was some of it blurry and the black too prominent? You bet. Was it like that in the theatrical release? I can't remember, I was too busy watching the action to pay attention. For most people, the novelty of the hand-cam will wear thin quickly, which is probably its biggest fault yet also its greatest strength.

AUDIO: 5/5

For a movie based on camcorder filming, Cloverfield has a surprisingly high quality when it comes to sound. The full 3D sound is immersive and really makes you feel like you're in the events. I guess the key to being an immersive film is a shaky first-person perspective and high quality surround?

REPLAY: 2/5

Some people will be able to watch it again and again (especially with the new Rifftrax). In the end, there's just not that much to see once you've watched it once. It remains entertaining (and parts remain hilarious, like the Superman/hobo fire scene) but for the most part it isn't enjoyable on repeat viewings.

EXTRAS: 2.5/5

The making of feature is a nice one, but the rest of the features needed some work. The deleted scenes aren't that good, the alternate endings are absolutely awful given the hype surrounding them, and the utter lack of the viral campaign is head scratching. 

OVERALL:  3.5/5

Even on the small screen its the visual and audio of Cloverfield which make it really stand out. The story is good the first time and the idea is so unique you have to watch it at least once, but the strongest points are easily the superb audio and the unique first-person camcorder perspective. 

Who's ready for Blair Witch Cloneapalooza 2?

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