Cloverfield

I saw Cloverfield yesterday. Here are some (SPOILERY) comments:

Stuff I liked:

(1) The style of storytelling-- Simulated home video. It made a rather predictable plotline seem unique.

(2) The characters-- The combination of #1 & #2 really added to the emotional investment. The group of friends/ slice-of-life aspect made me feel like this could just be me and my friends. The scenario (up until the alien attack) is going to be familiar to almost any young adult.

(3) J.J. Abrams-- Well, I am forever indebted to him for creating Alias so that's the main reason I went to see the movie.

(4) The flashbacks/taped-over part-- A plot device was that one of the guys had just used the tape already in the recorder and taped over some old stuff. We see flashes of that during the movie, and it adds to the story.

(5) The main character guys were rather hot.

Stuff I didn't like:

(1) Dramamine should be included with admission. I said I liked the style of storytelling but not the style of filming! I realize this was supposed to be shot while running away from an alien, but please! Hold the camera still for just 5 seconds. It made me very dizzy and nauseous. Now, those of you who know me well won't find that particularly earth-shattering since I experience motion sickness from everything that moves. However, six of us went to the moves, and three of us felt very sick afterwards. One person said that she didn't feel sick from The Blair Witch Project (to which the filming style has been compared) but felt quite ill from Cloverfield. Neither of the others who felt sick tend to get motion sickness. So....take Dramamine! (Of course, one friend was slightly drunk, and he STILL didn't feel sick from the movie...so YMMV.)

(2) Towards the end, the pacing seemed off...like they ran out of money and had to end it or something.

(3) I didn't find it scary. However, I have heard others say they did. Again, YMMV. (I wouldn't suggest bringing kids, though.)

(4) I didn't like the end.

(5) I'm not sure what I was supposed to take away from the movie. Is there a message hidden in there? If so, I think it's that if someone you love calls to say that her apartment building has been eaten by an alien and she's trapped and losing blood, even though your first inclination might be to rush over there and help (especially if you're already feeling guilty for ignoring her after you slept with her but really love her and aren't sure what to do about that), you should really just run in the opposite direction because if you try to help, not only will she die anyway, but you (and all of your friends that insist on coming with you) will die too.