Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: Mixed Plate

Media Credit: Courtesy of 1-18-08.com Viral Marketing from 'Slusho' to '1-18-08.com' has played a big part in Cloverfield's success.

"Cloverfield" combines three different movies: "The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms," "The Blair Witch Project," and "Shaun of the Dead." It is a video record of a man attempting to save his "girlfriend," who lives across town, from a 200 foot tall amphibious behemoth (computer-generated) infested with dog-sized fleas (also computer-generated) that eat people. No matter how much firepower is thrown at the monster, it continues to destroy everything in sight.

Sadly, the movie favors the romance between Rob (Michael Stahl-David) and Beth (Odette Yustman), instead of the monster. All the while, Hud (T.J. Miller), recording the event, keeps the mood light, talking at length and proposing wild theories about the monster. Hud is the most, perhaps only, relatable character in the story.

Where video fails the movie (as expected), it's made up for with sound. I'm not sure how realistic it is for a camcorder to record good sound quality, but, it's a movie. You can hear tank shells zoom across highways and hit the creature in the distance. You can sense the beast's movement as the rumbles get louder. Every shatter or crumble is accounted for.

Hype generated around this movie has selectivity to it. The few that kept up to speed with the viral-campaign would know what "Slusho" is.

Apparently, there was some underwater mining and a satellite touchdown, but I couldn't care less. This film is action packed, and gets dizzyingly realistic with the way the characters respond to the event. "Cloverfield" lives up to the hype, and never really disappoints, but it is way too short. Director Matt Reeves probably won't get the credit he deserves from this movie, sold more as the byproduct of producer J.J. Abram's "genius." The film closes with an appropriate score by Michael Giacchino, "Roar (Overture)," inspired by the scores of Godzilla movies.

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