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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Scream 4 (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Over a decade ago, director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson breathed new life into what had become a very stagnant horror genre with the release of Scream. The film was a clever twist on the killer-on-the-loose theme that had dominated the genre since the 80s and scored huge with audiences who loved the twists and turns of the film as well as the characters who quoted rules for surviving a horror film. With the huge success of the film, two sequels followed. But by the time Scream 3 was released, the series had lost its momentum and was becomeing the very cliche of a horror film that the series had originally made fun of.
Now in 2011, Craven and Williamson have returned with Scream 4, which is the planned first film in a new trilogy for the series with hopes to breath new life in a genre that has once again grown stale with ghost films and the so-called torture porn of the Saw films. Scream 4 is set 10 years after the events of the first film, and with a new book to promote, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), has returned to Woodsboro as a best-selling author, thanks to her book on self-empowerment, a direct result of her experiences in the previous three films.
The return of Sidney is a happy moment for Sherrif Dewey Riley (David Arquette), but not so much for his wife Gale (Courtney Cox), who is facing a bad case of writer’s block and is not exactly thrilled with her fade from the spotlight and life as the wife of the sheriff in the small town. Things get shaken up when a couple of gruesome murders are discovered and before long Sidney is being targeted by a killer who seems to be repeating the pattern of killing that had haunted her in the past.
When the killer strikes again and taunts Sidney with a disturbing phone call, Gale sees the chance to regain her former glory and despite the wishes of her husband Dewey, sets out to solve the mystery of the killer before it is too late.
What follows is a twisting and turning plot that has you seeing suspects everywhere as the body count piles up.
The film introduces some new faces into the series and Hayden Panettiere and Emma Roberts make the best of their roles and actually bring some depth to their characters. Of course there are numerous horror and pop culture references in the film which not only lighten the tension but help with the plot. The killings are graphic and the mix of comedy and horror is in good balance. As usual, people are really dumb just before they get theirs and do not do things like phone for help, take a safer route, and so on, but the film is still enjoyable from a horror fan’s perspective.
There are some nice celebrity cameos in the film and while the film did drag a bit in the final act before the conclusion, the film did redeem itself in the end. While it is not in danger of being cited for a deep plot, original story, or deep characters with wide character arcs, Scream 4 knows who its target audience is and what the audience expects. Some may say the series stayed away top long and has lost its edge and simply repeats the pattern and plot lines we’ve seen in the previous films. In the end, despite some issues, Scream 4 delivers a welcome return to the franchise and paves the way for future sequels in a manner which should delight fans of the genre and franchise.
Now in 2011, Craven and Williamson have returned with Scream 4, which is the planned first film in a new trilogy for the series with hopes to breath new life in a genre that has once again grown stale with ghost films and the so-called torture porn of the Saw films. Scream 4 is set 10 years after the events of the first film, and with a new book to promote, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), has returned to Woodsboro as a best-selling author, thanks to her book on self-empowerment, a direct result of her experiences in the previous three films.
The return of Sidney is a happy moment for Sherrif Dewey Riley (David Arquette), but not so much for his wife Gale (Courtney Cox), who is facing a bad case of writer’s block and is not exactly thrilled with her fade from the spotlight and life as the wife of the sheriff in the small town. Things get shaken up when a couple of gruesome murders are discovered and before long Sidney is being targeted by a killer who seems to be repeating the pattern of killing that had haunted her in the past.
When the killer strikes again and taunts Sidney with a disturbing phone call, Gale sees the chance to regain her former glory and despite the wishes of her husband Dewey, sets out to solve the mystery of the killer before it is too late.
What follows is a twisting and turning plot that has you seeing suspects everywhere as the body count piles up.
The film introduces some new faces into the series and Hayden Panettiere and Emma Roberts make the best of their roles and actually bring some depth to their characters. Of course there are numerous horror and pop culture references in the film which not only lighten the tension but help with the plot. The killings are graphic and the mix of comedy and horror is in good balance. As usual, people are really dumb just before they get theirs and do not do things like phone for help, take a safer route, and so on, but the film is still enjoyable from a horror fan’s perspective.
There are some nice celebrity cameos in the film and while the film did drag a bit in the final act before the conclusion, the film did redeem itself in the end. While it is not in danger of being cited for a deep plot, original story, or deep characters with wide character arcs, Scream 4 knows who its target audience is and what the audience expects. Some may say the series stayed away top long and has lost its edge and simply repeats the pattern and plot lines we’ve seen in the previous films. In the end, despite some issues, Scream 4 delivers a welcome return to the franchise and paves the way for future sequels in a manner which should delight fans of the genre and franchise.
Steven Sklansky (231 KP) rated Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) in Movies
Oct 5, 2017
The Action (2 more)
The Cast
The Robot Dogs
Crazy, Outrageous and Bloody Good Fun
Walking into the this movie I was expecting great things. I loved the first one and was actively waiting for number 2. Like all sequels unfortunately it did not live up to the first one. I am not saying it was a bad movie, because it was still fantastic, but it just did not have the same pop as the first.
Some of my favorite things about this movie was the action. Spy movies always have a way of make the crazy look very good. The gadgets they use I wish existed in real life because I would like one of each. Or maybe they are real and CIA and MI6 just keep them hidden from the real world. But as for the action the I was done so well. The fight scenes were done so seamlessly. My personal favorite was the fight scenes with the lassos, I know it was all mostly special effects but I was amazing to see it pulled off.
Comedy in the is movie is fantastic, they got the right group of actors together. Julianne Moore played one hell of a bad ass bad guy. I mean eating someone it just insane. But who knows, maybe I would eat people if it were legal. Her robot dogs were the best, I wish I had a set. Unfortunately they had to be charged to be effective. I think this is the first movie I have seen where robots needed to be charged and were not just ready to be used. Fun twist.
All and all, if you loved the first one, see this one. Just don't go in thinking this one will be better, go in thinking this is going to be a fun action movie.
Some of my favorite things about this movie was the action. Spy movies always have a way of make the crazy look very good. The gadgets they use I wish existed in real life because I would like one of each. Or maybe they are real and CIA and MI6 just keep them hidden from the real world. But as for the action the I was done so well. The fight scenes were done so seamlessly. My personal favorite was the fight scenes with the lassos, I know it was all mostly special effects but I was amazing to see it pulled off.
Comedy in the is movie is fantastic, they got the right group of actors together. Julianne Moore played one hell of a bad ass bad guy. I mean eating someone it just insane. But who knows, maybe I would eat people if it were legal. Her robot dogs were the best, I wish I had a set. Unfortunately they had to be charged to be effective. I think this is the first movie I have seen where robots needed to be charged and were not just ready to be used. Fun twist.
All and all, if you loved the first one, see this one. Just don't go in thinking this one will be better, go in thinking this is going to be a fun action movie.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated The Dark Divine (The Dark Divine, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
A couple weeks later and I still do not know how I feel about the book. I hated the writing, but it sucked me in. Nothing interesting happened for the first half of the novel, and yet I could not stop reading. There were so many cliches and cheesy parts, although it held so much potential.
I picked up this book for the beautiful cover. You think I would learn by now. Nothing of interests happens for about the first 150 pages. Most of it is filled with information Despain feels you should know about the world she has placed the story in and the characters who fill. It did not help that for some of the pages I felt like I was being preached at (literally). However, she keeps alluding to secrets, and non too subtly, that surround Daniel and something that happened years ago. After awhile, the not too subtle allusion becoming annoying because they are so glaringly obvious. I kept reading just because I was wanted to see how Daniel and Grace finally came together.
The fantasy and folklore that Despain portrays is interesting, but the way she went about it was kind of...well lame. All the secrets you were reading the novel to find out spill out in a matter pages at two separate times. You learn about the what Daniel really is in only a few paragraphs and what happened years ago in even less. It was so anti-climatic that I almost did not realize it had happened.
I cannot say I like the book, but it was a novel I could not stop reading. More than once I have put a young adult down after not even completing half of it because of how juvenile and ridiculous it is. While this was not a deep and thought provoking novel, I might rent the sequels to see how the rest of it plays out.
I picked up this book for the beautiful cover. You think I would learn by now. Nothing of interests happens for about the first 150 pages. Most of it is filled with information Despain feels you should know about the world she has placed the story in and the characters who fill. It did not help that for some of the pages I felt like I was being preached at (literally). However, she keeps alluding to secrets, and non too subtly, that surround Daniel and something that happened years ago. After awhile, the not too subtle allusion becoming annoying because they are so glaringly obvious. I kept reading just because I was wanted to see how Daniel and Grace finally came together.
The fantasy and folklore that Despain portrays is interesting, but the way she went about it was kind of...well lame. All the secrets you were reading the novel to find out spill out in a matter pages at two separate times. You learn about the what Daniel really is in only a few paragraphs and what happened years ago in even less. It was so anti-climatic that I almost did not realize it had happened.
I cannot say I like the book, but it was a novel I could not stop reading. More than once I have put a young adult down after not even completing half of it because of how juvenile and ridiculous it is. While this was not a deep and thought provoking novel, I might rent the sequels to see how the rest of it plays out.
Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019 (Updated Jun 21, 2019)
Tommy Jarvis is hellbent on proving that Jason is dead once and for all. That's why he's driving out to where he's buried to know for sure. A fellow inmate from the institution, Allen Hawes, tags along with him and once Tommy sees Jason's dilapidated body, the memories come flooding back to him. His temper gets the best of him as he rips off a piece of the iron fence nearby and stabs Jason repeatedly. Leaving the iron rod in Jason's chest, he turns his back for a moment only to have the rod be struck by lightning. To make things worse, Camp Crystal Lake (now renamed Camp Forest Green) is about to re-open with new counselors ripe for the picking. Now back from the dead and in a zombified state, Jason is back and is more unstoppable than ever.
This film begins the undead Jason trilogy of the Friday the 13th films and to be honest, that's my favorite version of Jason. I'm not sure if others view it as a guilty pleasure, but I enjoy this sequel almost as much as some of the first few sequels. And after the disappointment of the last film in the interesting kills department, we get quite a few this time around. One of the most memorable is Nikki getting her face shoved into the wall of the bathroom in the RV only to see the imprint of her face come through the other side. Sheriff Harris' death is also pretty incredible. Seeing a guy get bent in half in the opposite direction is always a crowd pleaser. Hawes' death has to be the best one though. Jason sticks his hand through Hawes and explodes through his back holding his heart. While there is sex in the film, there's no nudity that I can recall. Normally that would hurt a Friday the 13th film, but the great kills and overall entertaining feel of the entire film really made up for it for me.
This film begins the undead Jason trilogy of the Friday the 13th films and to be honest, that's my favorite version of Jason. I'm not sure if others view it as a guilty pleasure, but I enjoy this sequel almost as much as some of the first few sequels. And after the disappointment of the last film in the interesting kills department, we get quite a few this time around. One of the most memorable is Nikki getting her face shoved into the wall of the bathroom in the RV only to see the imprint of her face come through the other side. Sheriff Harris' death is also pretty incredible. Seeing a guy get bent in half in the opposite direction is always a crowd pleaser. Hawes' death has to be the best one though. Jason sticks his hand through Hawes and explodes through his back holding his heart. While there is sex in the film, there's no nudity that I can recall. Normally that would hurt a Friday the 13th film, but the great kills and overall entertaining feel of the entire film really made up for it for me.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Remember Me (Find Me, #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
<i>Remember Me</i> is the second novel in the <i>Find Me</i> thriller series by Romily Bernard. At the end of the first book Wicket Tate thought her problems were over but the teenage computer hacker is quickly caught up in a murder case. Beginning with a body of a woman with the words “Remember Me” carved into her, Wick is blackmailed by a member of the police to secretly investigate the potential suspects. Knowing her remaining family and friends would suffer if she did not comply, Wick gets herself into difficult and dangerous situations. As well as this, Wick is still struggling with previous events in her life making her job all the more harder, especially when certain secrets begin to resurface.
Bernard easily grabs the readers’ attention with the fast paced and developing plot line. Wick Tate is a likeable character whose bravery is admirable. During the story a range of potential outcomes come to mind, and although one of them may be correct, Bernard keeps us in suspense until the very end.
As with most young adult fiction, <i>Remember Me</i> would not be complete without it’s fair share of romance. Wick’s boyfriend, Griff, is against her involvement with the hacking jobs but fails to realize just how trapped she is. This causes friction between the couple, not helped by the behavior of the new guy on the scene, Milo.
Although this is the second book in the series there is enough background information given for new readers to understand what has happened so far. As with all sequels it would be beneficial to have read the preceding book, however it is not essential as this book is enjoyable regardless.
This is a highly recommended book and series, and the author still has a lot more to offer. A third title, <i>Trust Me</i>, should be published next year (2015).
<i>Remember Me</i> is the second novel in the <i>Find Me</i> thriller series by Romily Bernard. At the end of the first book Wicket Tate thought her problems were over but the teenage computer hacker is quickly caught up in a murder case. Beginning with a body of a woman with the words “Remember Me” carved into her, Wick is blackmailed by a member of the police to secretly investigate the potential suspects. Knowing her remaining family and friends would suffer if she did not comply, Wick gets herself into difficult and dangerous situations. As well as this, Wick is still struggling with previous events in her life making her job all the more harder, especially when certain secrets begin to resurface.
Bernard easily grabs the readers’ attention with the fast paced and developing plot line. Wick Tate is a likeable character whose bravery is admirable. During the story a range of potential outcomes come to mind, and although one of them may be correct, Bernard keeps us in suspense until the very end.
As with most young adult fiction, <i>Remember Me</i> would not be complete without it’s fair share of romance. Wick’s boyfriend, Griff, is against her involvement with the hacking jobs but fails to realize just how trapped she is. This causes friction between the couple, not helped by the behavior of the new guy on the scene, Milo.
Although this is the second book in the series there is enough background information given for new readers to understand what has happened so far. As with all sequels it would be beneficial to have read the preceding book, however it is not essential as this book is enjoyable regardless.
This is a highly recommended book and series, and the author still has a lot more to offer. A third title, <i>Trust Me</i>, should be published next year (2015).
I understand that this is the fourth offering for 'The Austen Project' where well known authors (although I had not heard of Curtis Sittenfeld and thought she was a man, but hey.....) rewrite Austen's novels 'for a modern audience'. This does rather beg the question of if a modern reading audience does need 'dumbing down' to, as that's pretty much the implication. Trollope's Sense & Sensibility & McCall Smith's Emma have met with somewhat mixed feelings but I did think that Val McDermid worked magic with a modern retelling of Northanger Abbey. So far this is the only one to have altered the title from the original - perhaps the pressure of Pride & Prejudice was too much for anyone?
If there is a single book which as has more sequels, prequels, re-imaginings and modernisations than good old P&P then I have yet to meet it. Personally, I like to think Austen would be amused and possibly slightly bemused by it all. I'm guilty of heaving read my fair share of these, which quite often categorise as the good, the bad and the ugly! For me, this one wasn't bad, or indeed ugly, but it wasn't brilliant. It also felt that it was quite a bit longer than it needed to be. I know Kitty & Lydia are rather vulgar and embarrassing in the original but their behaviour here is really beyond the pale - who on earth would want to date Lydia if she behaves as she does here?
Some of the ideas are good, some things seem a bit contrived and over the top. I also found it quite American and slangy in places with some slang words or expressions leaving me somewhat in the dark but then I am a woman who can't bear Text Speak!
Overall, while it wasn't a bad read, it wasn't that great and I can't see myself reading it again.
If there is a single book which as has more sequels, prequels, re-imaginings and modernisations than good old P&P then I have yet to meet it. Personally, I like to think Austen would be amused and possibly slightly bemused by it all. I'm guilty of heaving read my fair share of these, which quite often categorise as the good, the bad and the ugly! For me, this one wasn't bad, or indeed ugly, but it wasn't brilliant. It also felt that it was quite a bit longer than it needed to be. I know Kitty & Lydia are rather vulgar and embarrassing in the original but their behaviour here is really beyond the pale - who on earth would want to date Lydia if she behaves as she does here?
Some of the ideas are good, some things seem a bit contrived and over the top. I also found it quite American and slangy in places with some slang words or expressions leaving me somewhat in the dark but then I am a woman who can't bear Text Speak!
Overall, while it wasn't a bad read, it wasn't that great and I can't see myself reading it again.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Conjuring 2 (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Horror and Suspense movies always intrigued me, especially the ones based on true events or are historically based. The fact that it happened to someone actually made me more invested in the story and prompted me to think of the ways that I would deal with that situation should it arise. After watching The Conjuring 2, I hope that day never happens.
Conjuring 2 finds us catching up with Ed and Lorraine Warren as they travel to Enfield, England to help a family suffering from a paranormal encounter. After gaining a measure of fame for their experience, the Hodgson family is sought out by the Catholic Church and the Warrens in order to determine if the incidents are real or fabricated. They discover that this case pushes them to the limits of their faith and results in them becoming the targets of this demonic possession.
The film itself is a stronger story, filled with more suspense and depth than the first film and goes far beyond Annabelle, which, at times had me not connect at all with the family and I found myself cheering for the doll. The chemistry between Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring, Insidious series) and Vera Farmiga (The Departed, The Conjuring) and Frances O’Connor drive the story and ensure that audiences become invested within the storyline and circumstances and not just for the “frights.”
Sequels can often be plagued with problems, tropes, and going overboard with certain themes and ideas in order to retain its core audience. This is not the case with The Conjuring 2. The story and approach are fresh. Aspects of the film are not predictable. There are no massive holes within the plot. Time was invested within the writing and filming to ensure a solid story, suspense, and impact on viewers beyond their exit from the theater. The Conjuring series looks as though it is just getting started. Personally, I look forward to the remaining stories of the Warren family even if it means sleeping with the lights on after viewing.
Conjuring 2 finds us catching up with Ed and Lorraine Warren as they travel to Enfield, England to help a family suffering from a paranormal encounter. After gaining a measure of fame for their experience, the Hodgson family is sought out by the Catholic Church and the Warrens in order to determine if the incidents are real or fabricated. They discover that this case pushes them to the limits of their faith and results in them becoming the targets of this demonic possession.
The film itself is a stronger story, filled with more suspense and depth than the first film and goes far beyond Annabelle, which, at times had me not connect at all with the family and I found myself cheering for the doll. The chemistry between Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring, Insidious series) and Vera Farmiga (The Departed, The Conjuring) and Frances O’Connor drive the story and ensure that audiences become invested within the storyline and circumstances and not just for the “frights.”
Sequels can often be plagued with problems, tropes, and going overboard with certain themes and ideas in order to retain its core audience. This is not the case with The Conjuring 2. The story and approach are fresh. Aspects of the film are not predictable. There are no massive holes within the plot. Time was invested within the writing and filming to ensure a solid story, suspense, and impact on viewers beyond their exit from the theater. The Conjuring series looks as though it is just getting started. Personally, I look forward to the remaining stories of the Warren family even if it means sleeping with the lights on after viewing.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Last Librarian in Books
Jul 24, 2020
Poorly written and unoriginal
I wanted so much to like this book. The synopsis makes it sound like a more modern take on Fahrenheit 451 or 1984, however no matter how many times this book tries to reference these classics, it will never live up to these.
The good thing about this book is that the idea behind it. Set in a futuristic society where a pandemic has wiped out a large part of the population, the thought behind it is fairly relevant and in keeping with today’s events and you can almost imagine that this could’ve easily happened today. That however is where the good stops. The story is far too overly complicated and predictable, and also pretty dull. It doesn’t help that the author has decided that despite being set less than 80 years from today, everything has changed - the language, the continents, technology to the point where everything has a ridiculous and laughable new name. I never understand why authors try and rename everything just because it’s classed as a futuristic book, it’s entirely unnecessary. And then there’s the acronyms. Within the first half of the book so many silly acronyms are introduced that I quickly lost the will to even try and remember what they stood for, it’s far too many.
The characters are whiny and self absorbed, with a large part of the chapters taken up by their monotonous and rambling inner monologuing. And then they all seem to inexplicably talk in literary quotes all the time, to constantly stress their self importance and the worthiness of the books. The relationships between characters also seem poorly developed yet progress far too quickly.
Overall I really didn’t enjoy this book, and the fact that it has been set up for 2 further sequels doesn’t interest me in the slightest. I’d have to be very desperate to read those.
The good thing about this book is that the idea behind it. Set in a futuristic society where a pandemic has wiped out a large part of the population, the thought behind it is fairly relevant and in keeping with today’s events and you can almost imagine that this could’ve easily happened today. That however is where the good stops. The story is far too overly complicated and predictable, and also pretty dull. It doesn’t help that the author has decided that despite being set less than 80 years from today, everything has changed - the language, the continents, technology to the point where everything has a ridiculous and laughable new name. I never understand why authors try and rename everything just because it’s classed as a futuristic book, it’s entirely unnecessary. And then there’s the acronyms. Within the first half of the book so many silly acronyms are introduced that I quickly lost the will to even try and remember what they stood for, it’s far too many.
The characters are whiny and self absorbed, with a large part of the chapters taken up by their monotonous and rambling inner monologuing. And then they all seem to inexplicably talk in literary quotes all the time, to constantly stress their self importance and the worthiness of the books. The relationships between characters also seem poorly developed yet progress far too quickly.
Overall I really didn’t enjoy this book, and the fact that it has been set up for 2 further sequels doesn’t interest me in the slightest. I’d have to be very desperate to read those.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Halloween II (1981) in Movies
Mar 5, 2021
There's a fair amount to love about Halloween II, a sequel set on the same night as the original, immediately following that films ending.
For instance, I can admire the style that director Rick Rosenthal was going for, attempting to make his sequel feel as much like the first film as possible, the idea being that you could watch both back to back.
There a few creepy shots here and there. One that really sticks is the shot of Michael in the darkness just before the poor nurse get killed with a syringe. Another is Michael on the CCTV when he first enters the hospital. Another is when Laurie see Michael across the parking lot underneath a red light. and then there's Michael with blood running out of the eye holes in his mask, followed by him walking out of that one room completely ablaze. It's all to do with Michael then! Once again, this movie showcases how his straightforward design is striking and rightly iconic.
It's nice to see Jamie Lee Curtis back as Laurie, and Donald Pleasance back as Loomis. All in all, it does truly feel like a sequel, but there's something missing.
The original is one of my favourite horrors ever made, and Halloween II, despite its positives, just fails to capture the same essence. This is partly to do with the script. It feels like a lot of the actors were just told to ad lib all their lines or something. The tension building scenes go on for a little too long also, ironically voiding a few scenes of said tension. It's feels like the first film in everything but execution pretty much.
It's a heavily flawed sequel, but it's still a decent watch, and is certainly one of the better sequels in this long running series. It deserves credit for the bit near the beginning where Loomis shouts "you don't know what death is!" before the synth heavy version of the theme tune kicks in, that was badass.
For instance, I can admire the style that director Rick Rosenthal was going for, attempting to make his sequel feel as much like the first film as possible, the idea being that you could watch both back to back.
There a few creepy shots here and there. One that really sticks is the shot of Michael in the darkness just before the poor nurse get killed with a syringe. Another is Michael on the CCTV when he first enters the hospital. Another is when Laurie see Michael across the parking lot underneath a red light. and then there's Michael with blood running out of the eye holes in his mask, followed by him walking out of that one room completely ablaze. It's all to do with Michael then! Once again, this movie showcases how his straightforward design is striking and rightly iconic.
It's nice to see Jamie Lee Curtis back as Laurie, and Donald Pleasance back as Loomis. All in all, it does truly feel like a sequel, but there's something missing.
The original is one of my favourite horrors ever made, and Halloween II, despite its positives, just fails to capture the same essence. This is partly to do with the script. It feels like a lot of the actors were just told to ad lib all their lines or something. The tension building scenes go on for a little too long also, ironically voiding a few scenes of said tension. It's feels like the first film in everything but execution pretty much.
It's a heavily flawed sequel, but it's still a decent watch, and is certainly one of the better sequels in this long running series. It deserves credit for the bit near the beginning where Loomis shouts "you don't know what death is!" before the synth heavy version of the theme tune kicks in, that was badass.
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Cloverfield (2008) in Movies
Oct 5, 2020
Cloverfield is, at heart a found footage Kaiju movie with the twist that you don't see much of the main monster until the end of the film. Unlike Kaiju films like Godzilla or even Pacific rim, Cloverfield does not concentrate on the monster but on the people affected by it's rampage and the found footage aspect of the film helps bring us in close with a small group of survivors as they try to work out what is happening and try to find their friends.
I knew some one who absolutely hated this film for the very fact that the monster is rarely seen, although he clamed that you never actually saw the monster, which isn't true so I don't think he watched all the way to the end. He had a point though, if you want to watch a film where monsters fight it out amongst themselves then this probably won't be for you.
The monster is really nothing more than a plot device and the fact that it is only revealed in parts and not fully seen until the end helps to keep the film centred on the people and helps add a touch of reality to the film, after all if you lived in Japan during a Kaiju attack you would be more interested in saving your own life than weather you were about to be eaten by Godzilla or Ghidorah.
Being a found footage film, Cloverfield suffers slightly from the usual shaky camera work and occasional low sound but these are kept to a minimum. The film also manages to avoid relying on night vision or infra red so the footage is, for the most part, much clearer than other films of this style and doesn't keep switching formats which make the film less distracting than others.
Over all Cloverfield is a good monster/survival film which leaves some questions to be answered in the sequels (or not )
I knew some one who absolutely hated this film for the very fact that the monster is rarely seen, although he clamed that you never actually saw the monster, which isn't true so I don't think he watched all the way to the end. He had a point though, if you want to watch a film where monsters fight it out amongst themselves then this probably won't be for you.
The monster is really nothing more than a plot device and the fact that it is only revealed in parts and not fully seen until the end helps to keep the film centred on the people and helps add a touch of reality to the film, after all if you lived in Japan during a Kaiju attack you would be more interested in saving your own life than weather you were about to be eaten by Godzilla or Ghidorah.
Being a found footage film, Cloverfield suffers slightly from the usual shaky camera work and occasional low sound but these are kept to a minimum. The film also manages to avoid relying on night vision or infra red so the footage is, for the most part, much clearer than other films of this style and doesn't keep switching formats which make the film less distracting than others.
Over all Cloverfield is a good monster/survival film which leaves some questions to be answered in the sequels (or not )