Cloverfield

I should probably point out that I'm not at all trying to turn this into some sort of movie review/analysis blog. I've just had some time to myself lately that I've decided to blow on seeing some films in the theater rather than waiting for the DVD.

About ten years ago, I was on the big island of Hawaii at this great five star resort called the Mauna Lani Bay as part of an award package for the sales team that I was on at the time. At dinner one night, a waiter passed our table with this really amazing looking dessert. It had a couple of different kinds of fruit in it, some sort of mango looking ice cream, and this fancy looking cylindrical web of white chocolate sitting atop a carefully placed dollop of whipped cream. I said to myself, "my god I have to get one of those" and hailed our waiter. When my highly anticipated confectionery creation finally arrived, I soon discovered that even a five star resort can disappoint, and while it looked fabulous sitting there, and I did eat most of it, it wasn't all that satisfying. A clear case of being deceived by the appearance of something that not only looked well done, but seemed really interesting and different... Cloverfield was a very similar experience.

The best way to describe the film is that it was shot in HD; that is to say a "Highly Derivative" manner. Whoever it was that proclaimed that there are few, if any, original concepts left in Hollywood, clearly had films like this in mind.

Its technical execution, and effects were very well done. but it was so short on story and good performances that I had a tough time tolerating it - even as a popcorn movie.