“Cloverfield”

Rated PG-13

Starring: Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T. J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David

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Directed by Matt Reeves

Run time: 84 min.

If you’re going to see “Cloverfield,” sit in the back of the theater.

Just like every other movie shot in hand-held video camera format, you’re going to get a headache. For this movie, though, it might be worth it, especially for a generation of YouTubers who are used to watching that sort of thing.

Friends of Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) throw him a going away party the night before he moves to Tokyo. During the middle of the party, everybody hears a big noise and thinks it’s an earthquake. They all run to the roof to see the damage when fireballs start flying at them.

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Then the group goes outside, and there’s that famous preview scene of the Statue of Liberty’s head flying through the street. The party is reduced to a few – Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), Lily Ford (Jessica Lucas), Jason (Mike Vogel) and his brother Rob.

The star of “Cloverfield” is the scariest monster yet to hit the big screen, and has been deftly hidden from audiences during previews and trailers, adding to the suspense. The film was introduced through a series of viral campaigns, with early trailers lacking any information about it, including the title or when it would be released.

The film is basically all about survival. Rob gets this crazy idea he’s going to save the woman he loves – Beth (Odette Yustman) – and bring his friends with him on the suicide mission.

Without the camera effects, the movie wouldn’t have been half as suspenseful or terrifying. With the limited view, the audience has no clue what’s going on or why – a phenomenon that would have been excluded with the omniscient camera of most films. You only get a few glances at the monster, which means everything else is left up to the imagination.

The special effects are passable, but more disturbing than anything. Images of New York buildings collapsing and people running in the streets from dusty clouds of debris are reminiscent of 9-11. Putting that image back into people’s minds is pretty distasteful.

Watching the military unload on the monster, on the other hand, is pretty wild. Stealth bombers, missile launchers and machine guns don’t even seem to bother the thing, let alone kill it.

There’s also enough humor and downtime in the film to break the tension between fight scenes.

Though “Cloverfield” has been shrouded in mystery, the movie leaves you with an overwhelming sense that you just got taken for one intense ride.

Julie Engler can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 275 or [email protected].