If 9/11 was caused by a giant monster....

.........Godzilla meets the Blair Witch Project.......The O.C. meets Independence Day....likely how "Cloverfield" was pitched to movie execs by "Lost" creator J.J. Abrams (ok with perhaps the exception of the last one). If you ever dreamed of making movies when you were 10 years old, this was the movie you thought of making. Giant (and I mean GIANT) monster goes on the rampage in New York City. Thousands flee, drama ensues, G.I. Joe is brought in to save the day. Frame it with an anguished love story and voila! Now picture this movie filmed from the point of view of one of the participants in said drama (with better than average filming ability...barely) and you have "Cloverfield".

What they managed to do on a relatively shoestring budget ($25M reportedly) is pretty incredible. It runs just under 90 minutes (including titles), and feels a bit like a theme-park ride. i.e. Where's the monster? This is a monster ride, and I know he's going to jump out at me very soon, but damn it I can't see him and I know he's going to scare me! DAMN there he is! Shit I knew it! Fuck that was scary! Then there is the lull as you float on a wooden log through idle forests and enjoy the scenery of deer and playful, water-shooting elephants...before plummeting 20 feet to your doom. That in a nutshell is the movie, except there is no idle forest and little rest in between the moments of genuine terror.

I will not ruin the ending but I will say I ended up feeling nauseous from the hand-help camera movements. I enjoyed it, I liked the gimmick, but I would recommend taking some sea-sickness pills before you watch.

Cheers.