Movie review: Cloverfield

Cloverfield is a high-intensity first-person monster movie, from Lost producer J. J. Abrams. Think Godzilla meets The Blair Witch Project: brief glimpses of the monster lurking amid the devastation in midtown Manhattan, shot with a jumpy handcam during desperate flight and insane heroics.

The premise is that the film was discovered in Central Park, after the event, and is now being viewed in the government archives. Friends throw a going away party for Rob, who's leaving for Japan to take a big new job. During the party, something goes boom. Their high-rise shakes. The lights flicker. It takes awhile to realize that what's happening is that a monster is loose in the city. The rest of the movie is dedicated to their flight from the city.

The characters are believable, the acting is strong and reactions natural. This being an Abrams story, the storyline is full of blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments, it folds back on itself on occasion, and the pace is unrelenting. Abrams knows how to press the adrenaline button and hold it down. He does that through Cloverfield with pinpoint accuracy. There are a few surprises, a bit of humor and a bit of blood.

It's rated PG-13, and is definitely not for the younger set.If you're prone to seizures caused by strobing, or get sick on roller coasters, I'd avoid Cloverfield, especially on the big screen. If those things don't bother you, and you like a rip-through-Manhattan big ol' scary monster movie with great special effects and good acting, I give Cloverfield a big recommend.