One thing was immediately apparent to me on leaving the cinema after seeing ‘Cloverfield’ yesterday. A huge marketing opportunity exists in a camera company claiming theirs was the model used by the characters in the film. It’s durability knows no ends, even when strewn amongst the rubble of a monster ravaged Manhattan island, its extra features will guide you safely through the subway tunnels of New York, it remains somehow attached to its user no matter the number of stairs and dilapidated buildings he tumbles through and has a never fading energy source. The camera almost becomes an extra character, it breaks down the 4th wall, inviting us into this snap shot of the experiences of some well dressed New Yorkers as a monster decides to level Manhattan and relieve its inhabitants of their lives.

The film opens with the lead up to a party introducing us to our guides for proceedings. Some witty banter and whiny angst put me equally at ease and unsure as to how I felt about the characters. However the domestic dramas and steadiness of the camera angles soon gave way to scenes of panic and disarray as the streets become strewn with crushed sky scrapers, bodies and parts of national monuments. A monster , the scale and look of which has been anticipated for over a year finally reaches our screens. While Spielberg may have saved the appearance of Jaws until the latter part of his film due to the fish being a budget restrained creation, we only get to see flashes of the Cloverfield monster as our eyes are that of a man running to save his life, only getting an idea of the ferocity of the animal from the shuddering buildings around him, shadows in the dust and fleeting glimpses on news coverage. The teasing does end as the group head into the inner city to rescue a love interest , finding themselves in a war zone. Here we reach the most visceral section of the film, making it unique amongst blockbusters. The ’money shots’ are only partially captured, where Michael Bay would be panning his heroes as they take in the trail of destruction here we have shots of feet as the camera dangles from that of our ’documenter’ as he races through the streets. Importantly, the film is absolutely cinematic, its makers have challenged themselves and succeeded in finding pleasing aesthetics in the ‘natural’ surrounds.

Now there is an absolutely entitled comparison of the camcorder technique with ‘The Blair Witch Project’. The innovation of using this technique on a budget and creating a phenomenon is to be praised. So too however the makers here deserve praise for delivering on so many fronts. You have the quieter moments of desperation and affection, the tense adrenaline and claustrophobia infused race through the city and then of course the delivery of blockbusting creature shots and military action.

Criticism comes in the form of the film demanding a number of leaps of faith from the audience. The characters and the actions they take at times are infuriatingly silly and a number of blockbuster conventions do rear their heads - such as miraculous healing powers and niggling plot holes that can, if you let them, bear down on your enjoyment. Ultimately the film as a whole is a pleasing, satisfying action and science fiction film, evoking both the disaster films of the 70s as well as a modern intelligent step forward in the way mainstream movies can be delivered, effectively counteracting what weaknesses are evident.

‘Cloverfield’ is not the revolution in film making its marketing had lead us to believe, it is however an impressively unique take on the blockbuster. The film can at times vere wide of the emotional impact that could be achieved through such a shooting format and there will be a number of grating moments for any discerning viewer. The overall effect is one of great entertainment and a must see film.

Official ‘Cloverfield’ Homepage/IMDB Page/ Rotten Tomatoes Review Page/ Previous Dossing Times coverage