‘Cloverfield’ – read short critique
In a nutshell: New Yorker boy is having a farewell party when a giant monster attacks the city. Documentary style, caught on a 9mm camera major disaster flick – best catastrophic movie ever!
The Story: It’s Robs last day in NYC. He is about to leave town the next day. Being a popular guy, his brother Jason and his friends throw in-style farewell party with all a good one needs: loud music, lots of booze and drugs, a shit faced guy hitting at a total stranger girl, couples fighting etc. The scene is being abruptly interrupted as a roar shakes the buildings of Manhattan. Soon Rob, Jason and some other party guests find themselves running for their lives and away from a giant creature that can knock off a skyscraper easily. And worse, its small, parasitic friends that seem to be really bloodthirsty. While the quickly sobered up youngsters try to survive, the world around them is collapsing at a fast pace.
Movie critique: I heard the director, Matt Reeves got away with a low budget using a hand-held cam to catch the pictures. Well, he did a great job! It all looks like semi pro footages we are familiar with from the 9/11 attacks caught on cell phone camera or real war scenes from Iraq: shaky, disturbing and very realistic. The style is absolutely refreshing and even though you rarely get to see the invaders, the tension never goes down. I was delighted to find out that there are Hollywood movies that spare the viewer a boring happy ending, serving an exciting one instead. I won’t tell more about it, since I don’t wan to spoil it for you. Just one advice: when you think everything is over and the credits come up, do not get up from your seat. Keep watching the last minute or so. You might catch something that indicates the beginning of the events…
Conclusion: Must see for any catastrophic movie fan! You might want to avoid the very first rows in the cinema, as I heard some people got sick because of the shaky, fast paces scenes. Oh, and if you wanna watch it on your TV, make sure it’s a big, big HD one.
A scene to remember: ‘Hud’, holding the 9mm cam looks up, right in the grimace of the monster, that stares for a second before chewing on him briefly. It seems to be little delighted by the taste as if spits both, the camera, still running in the movie perspective and the bitten through ‘Hud’ on the lawn.
Watch it if you liked: Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998), War of the Worlds (2005)
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‘I am Legend’ - short review
In a nutshell: The post apocalyptic struggle of the single survivor living in the ruins of New York city - a good movie
It’s the year 2012. The U.S. Army virologist Lieutenant Colonel Robert Neville lives a lonely but busy life in what is left of NYC. During the day he searches for food and useful stuff together with his German shepherd Samantha. In the night though, he barricades in his house, hiding from blood thirsty zombies, victims of a man-made virus that was supposed to be a cure for cancer 3 years back. Being the only immune human being and resistant to the airborne virus, Neville is driven by the search for a cure, one that he believes his very own blood is the key to. Despite his rational approach to the situation, Neville does not give up on hope for meeting another human being again, broadcasting a radio message on a daily basis. As over the time loneliness becomes more and more of an issue for Robert, he is becoming less careful in a fatal environment…
Flickcritique says: Director Francis Lawrence did not really stick to Richard Matheson’s original “I am Legend” novel. Still, he made a cool movie. The beginning is brilliant, with Will Smith walking around in half devastated and totally abandoned NYC. The pictures are very strong. It’s hard to call out the critic points without spoiling the movie for you, for that reason I just want to point out that a darker or rather logical ending would probably have been much more appreciated by the audience. Nonetheless, the movie is worth watching, particularly due to Smith’s single actor performance
Best in movie scene: Following his dog Samantha Robert finds himself in a completely dark building, the only source of light is a mini maglite mounted to his rifle. You don’t get to see much in these minutes, all you hear is the raising breathing rate, indicating the approaching danger… breathtaking
Conclusion: A good movie that could have been great, if it was a little less heroic/predictable
Still worth watching ![]()
Watch it if you liked: 28 Days Later (2002), Dawn of the Dead (2004), 28 Weeks Later (2007)