1/16/08
Rotten Tomatoes Posts Cloverfield Reviews
1/16/2008 | 
Posted by
Dave and Thomas
Now that the official screenings of Cloverfield have taken place we will start to see what the critics think of the movie. The best site that gathers all the reviews and lumps them together is Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.
The first series of reviews are being posted on Tomatoes today and as it stands there are 11 turned in. 6 are good, 6 are negative giving it a 50% rating for now. The review count should be well over 100 reviews by the end of the week so keep checking back to see what they think. Metacritic only has 2 in but it should be full in the next day.
Even though only a few reviews are in right now I have noticed that the website based critics liked the film more than the traditional print critics. Sites like IGN and Dark Horizons helped propagate the viral campaign so I'm curious as to how other similar sites review the film when compared to someone like Robert Ebert
There's a few more "top critic" reviews out there not yet on Tomatoes and one thing I've noticed in them is that the main stream critics seem to be split on the movie. The ones that do not like it continue to point out the hand-held style of cinematography and label it as a Blair Witch/Godzilla remake. The ones that like it enjoy the fresh look of the style. I've taken some samples below of the reviews posted so far as well as a few that haven't popped up on Tomatoes yet.
Cloverfield Reviews
Dark Horizons Cloverfield Review (read)
Coming in under a heavy weight of expectation, there'll be some notable deflation when people discover that all the filmmakers have done is simply taken a "Blair Witch Project" style approach to what is essentially a New York-set "Godzilla" movie - nothing more or less.
Variety Cloverfield Review (read)
Despite its indie-flavored shooting style, first-rate visual effects, reasonable intensity factor, nihilistic attitude and post-9/11 anxiety overlay, this punchy sci-fier is, in the end, not much different from all the marauding creature features that have come before it.
New York Press Cloverfield Review (read)
Too bad the movie is a less-than-satisfying experiment with contrived fake documentary aesthetics.
Cinema Blend Cloverfield Review (read)
Cloverfield is exactly what you’d expect it to be if you’ve been paying attention and the opposite of everything you probably think it should be if you haven’t. Let’s get this out of the way right now. It’s not a monster movie, and it’s not trying to be.
Hollywood Reporter Cloverfield Review (read)
The people they're playing aren't particularly interesting or developed, but who has time to exhibit intriguing character traits when you're trying to outrun a monster? Besides, there's something refreshing about a monster movie that isn't filled with the usual suspects, like The Hero, The Rebel and The Cynic.
IGN Cloverfield Review (read)
Cloverfield is an intelligent take on the genre. But the question must be asked - how clever do we want this genre to be? At times, Cloverfield almost feels a little bit too clever for its own good. All the devices that are used to draw the audience into the action, though pretty effective, are obvious. In fact, some of these devices are so apparent that they could prevent more discerning viewers from being totally absorbed into what is still a rollickingly fun destruction-fest.
Epinions Cloverfield Review (read)
The film has a story to tell, and it tells it in a fashion that never flags from the beginning until the end credits roll.
And I'm very happy to report that not only is Cloverfield a very good monster movie, but it represents a very welcome advance for the aged sub-genre. Between this flick and the Korean import The Host, one can't help but enjoy the mega-monster resurgence we're being treated to. Enjoy it now ... before all the chintzy copycats show up
Don’t believe the hype. Forget about the endless internet campaign, and flag away the confusing puzzles, photographs, videos and bizarre advertising for a milkshake called Slusho. None of it means a thing once you've seen Cloverfield.
Japan may still have it on us when it comes to electronics and fuel-efficient cars, but it looks like the United States is finally, more than 50 years after “Gojira,” catching up in the monster-movie department.
The hipper-than-thou house style of executive producer J.J. Abrams is evident all throughout Cloverfield, and this is not a good thing. Talk about your high concepts and imagine the pitch meeting: "It's a first person episode of Felicity interrupted by a humongous, pissed-off crustacean!"
It’s no accident that Cloverfield, which opens Friday, is not seen through the eyes of social workers and busboys. Our heroes here are the self-absorbed young Turks buying the condos, crowding the Meatpacking district and pricing the rest of us out of town – and as depicted in Cloverfield they can be just a little annoying at times. (Especially the cameraman.)
Unlike most movies that arrive loaded with hype, though (Snakes on a Plane anyone?), Cloverfield completely delivers. It is the most visceral, thrilling movie I've seen in years. Not since Trinity's opening bullet-time fight in the The Matrix have I heard an audience spontaneously burst into applause in the middle of a movie.
And I'm very happy to report that not only is Cloverfield a very good monster movie, but it represents a very welcome advance for the aged sub-genre. Between this flick and the Korean import The Host, one can't help but enjoy the mega-monster resurgence we're being treated to. Enjoy it now ... before all the chintzy copycats show up
Don’t believe the hype. Forget about the endless internet campaign, and flag away the confusing puzzles, photographs, videos and bizarre advertising for a milkshake called Slusho. None of it means a thing once you've seen Cloverfield.
Japan may still have it on us when it comes to electronics and fuel-efficient cars, but it looks like the United States is finally, more than 50 years after “Gojira,” catching up in the monster-movie department.
The hipper-than-thou house style of executive producer J.J. Abrams is evident all throughout Cloverfield, and this is not a good thing. Talk about your high concepts and imagine the pitch meeting: "It's a first person episode of Felicity interrupted by a humongous, pissed-off crustacean!"
It’s no accident that Cloverfield, which opens Friday, is not seen through the eyes of social workers and busboys. Our heroes here are the self-absorbed young Turks buying the condos, crowding the Meatpacking district and pricing the rest of us out of town – and as depicted in Cloverfield they can be just a little annoying at times. (Especially the cameraman.)
Unlike most movies that arrive loaded with hype, though (Snakes on a Plane anyone?), Cloverfield completely delivers. It is the most visceral, thrilling movie I've seen in years. Not since Trinity's opening bullet-time fight in the The Matrix have I heard an audience spontaneously burst into applause in the middle of a movie.
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2 comments:
I just saw an early screening...the whole thing is a continuation of the Burger King commercial where they don't serve the whopper. Rosie O'donnel comes through the drive thru and then gets mad and starts ripping the city apart. Overall very believable.
Rob is leaving for Japan, right? On his last night in NYC his suprise going away bash is video taped for his personal enjoyment. Here's the skinny: The party ends before all the Godzilla-like creature attacks on the city begin.
Cloverfield, or Clover Field, was the original name of the Santa Monica Municipal Airport, 6 statute miles from LAX. Just because I used to work at an airport doesn't make me an expert on the fact that Rob would have to board a flight somewhere near LA in order to make it to Japan.
I don't know how it's all gonna go down; I'm no pyschic. Knowing some of Abrams work, especially with Lost, you can expect something totally nuts. I'm saying Rob is on his flight to Clover Field, Santa Monica Municipal Airport, for his link with the flight to Japan, when the movie ends with him waking up on the plane to the movie Godzilla. Or, who knows... maybe a plane crash.
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