Sam Emerson / Paramount PicturesReview in a Hurry: A monster—a big, green monster that crawls from the sea, just like in the old days—attacks New York City, and a group of young hotties scramble to get out of town, capturing their ordeal on a handicam. Clever storytelling and an appealing cast make this update of cheap Godzilla-style flicks modern, scary and superfun.
The Bigger Picture: So, this guy Rob (Michael Stahl-David) is moving to Japan for a big promotion, and his twentysomething Manhattan pals throw him a kickin' party. His socially awkward buddy Hud (T.J. Miller) is charged with catching the night on tape and manages to cover all the castmembers' romantic backstory before—holy s--t!—a huge monster emerges from New York Harbor and starts spitting fireballs.
Hud keeps the camera rolling as the mayhem ensues, and Cloverfield plays out entirely as the contents of his tape. As something huge and green pummels New York, and as the army moves in, with buildings tumbling and looters rampaging, the gang treks crosstown to save Rob's crush Beth (Odette Yustman)—all while resolving personal conflicts, swapping pop culture data and catching escalating glimpses of this monster.
Far from being a gimmick, the handheld camera proves vital to the film's success, creating urgency and terror with barely any blood or gore. We've seen it before (remember The Blair Witch Project?), but in the age of Homeland Security and iPhones, the idea of everyday people snapping cell phone pics as their civilization crumbles really hits home.
The cast of newcomers couldn't be more likable, but the real star here is "Cloverfield": big, green and mindless, it's a true brother to Mothra or the Beast from 20,000 Fathoms—a '50s feature creature washed ashore in the 21st century. And don't worry, Hud's camera (and the audience) gets a very good look at the thing.
Cloverfield is a J.J. Abrams-branded product, so it has a distinctly Lost-y feeling to it, as if it's only a small piece of something bigger. The effect is both intriguing and frustrating, as many key questions remain unanswered (good luck finding them in the info-dense "viral marketing" sites, nerds). Whether that's just part of Abrams' twisted sense of fun, or the setup for a sequel or a TV series, you're still left breathless, wowed and wanting for more.
The 180—a Second Opinion: This is a dizzying, disoriented fast-moving ordeal, often shot from the perspective of a man running for his life while panicked crowds scream and push him around. If you're prone to motion sickness, or Pokémon-induced seizures, this ride is not for you.