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struggle, generated by intense, realistic performances from the cast, making it one of the most genuinely frightening giant monster movies in decades. However, it also uses the creature’s invasion as a clever allegory for the current climate in the U.S., not seen with such scope since the original Godzilla.
While the more obvious parallels are of the terror of 9/11 and the Iraq War, it also manages to be a telling and revelatory critique of the apathy of the country’s current young generation. The twenty-something characters start out merely out for themselves and their own fulfillment and by the time the monster is surfaced, they are tellingly oblivious as to why it has come. The use of amateur video footage to tell the story manages to, as a result, not only to work as a unique concept and add to the terror, but have the added quality of being a powerful symbol of the self-centeredness and self-indulgence of the current generation only heightened in the advent of the Internet and YouTube.
The DVD’s picture quality is in the 1:85:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio, with the sound quality in Dolby Digital Surround 5.1. The DVD also comes packed with plenty of special features.
The first is audio commentary by director Matt Reeves, who provides a wealth of information into the making of the film. The second is the lengthy and incredibly revealing featurette “Document of 01.18.08: The Making of Cloverfield” which goes behind-the-scenes into this highly unique and secretive production.
Next is the lengthy “Cloverfield Visual Effects” featurette, which focuses on the intriguing special effects work in the film. “I Saw It! It's Alive! It's Huge!” is another featurette that focuses on the evolution of the concept of the film’s monster.
“Clover Fun” is an amusing blooper reel. Rounding out the special features are four deleted scenes and two alternate endings, each containing optional commentary from director Matt Reeves.
Cloverfield’s Blair Witch-esque “mysterious amateur footage” approach inevitably handicaps the film in many ways and is certain to be off-putting for more straightforward film viewers used to traditional storytelling. But the film’s ability to use its concept, intentionally or not, as a powerful piece of allegory and symbolism of the Internet-driven, terrorist-fearing, apathetic, and self-serving culture in America today makes this not only one of the most sober and genuinely terrifying giant monster movies made since the original Godzilla, but also one of the most intelligent mainstream Hollywood films of recent years.
Movie Grade: B+
DVD Features Grade: A
Overall Grade: A-
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