Cloverfield

Starring: Michael Stahl-Favid, Mike Vogel, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas Review: Now that the fanboy hype has cleared, we can see Cloverfield for what it is: borrowed inspiration, trite screenwriting and amateurish acting all in the service of a ballsy idea — that a horror movie could maybe, just maybe, have a soul. As it turns out, Cloverfield's virtues are all mechanical, but, hot damn, what it might have been. According to the thinking of producer J.J. Abrams, a rabid Godzilla fan, a monster attacking Manhattan might be a cathartic way for audiences to process their lingering fears about the events of September 11th. No politics, just the raw terror of an alien attack, jangling our nerves the way Japan's 1954 Godzilla evoked panic over the atomic bomb. Cloverfield looked good on paper, and for much of its breathlessly short running time it looks mighty good... Rating: 2 Stars (link)