dont do it
Do not waste your money!!! This film totally sucked. Read all the other reviews and then read between the lines. There is absolutely nothing to recommend this movie. It might have made an interesting book, but was definitely not cinema worthy! I love a good horror movie and was highly disappointed. Blair Witch was actually better and it sucked too. I used to think BW was the worst to come out of Hollywood...but now its Cloverfield.

Thrilling
First off, if anyone saw any type of preview or read any review about this movie whatsoever, they would know that the movie was not filmed in the conventional way... at all. If you know this fact beforehand it shouldn't be a surprise, so enjoy it rather than complaining (I was prepared for the shaky handheld camera filming approach beforehand and I personally thought it was an extremely effective way of captivating the audience and bringing them into the movie.)

Engaging, kept my interest the entire time. Likeable cast filled with a few familiar faces. Monster (and tiny monsters/parasites) were done quite well and were scary/mysterious throughout. Nice special effects. Mystery surrounds this movie from the beginning and even through till the end, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good chiller/thriller movie. Long time LOST fan, which (producer J.J. Abrams) is the main reason I gave Cloverfield a try. It didn't disappoint, but this one's a "rent"-er not a "buy"-er.

Intense and Awesome!
First, I don't understand the barage of bad reviews because of the home video-like filming of the movie. This was one of the most publicized aspects of this film! This is not Godzilla or Alien vs. Predator or King Kong. The movie was made to capture the plight of a group of people as they try to escape the wrath of a huge monster destrying Manhattan.

That being said, this movie was better than I expected. And that's saying something, because I was amped to see this since the preview in front of Transformers.

I loved the home movie quality that started with a going away party for Rob. A party that had the normal scenes of a guy (Hud) shyly chasing after a hot girl (Marlena) and the tension between a guy and a girl that are obviously in love but won't talk to each other (Rob and Beth). Just as the Rob-Beth issue starts getting old, all hell breaks loose. From that point on the film is incredibly intense.

Glimpses of the monster are seen right away as it dismantles the city. We get a few closer looks of the creature as our heroes rush through the city. And I have to say, this monster is awesome. Nothing like Godzilla, King Kong, or anything ever seen destroying a city. I recommend watching the extras afterwards to hear the writer, director, and FX folks talking about it.

Without going into plot, I will say that I loved the story-line. Uncomplicated and straitfoward. Clover (as the monster is referred to by the director) is on the loose and wreaking havoc. Will our band of party goers make it out of the city? Will the creature be defeated? What the heck is the creature? It doesn't matter. This is one of the most original horror/thriller flicks in a long time. Intense, scary, funny, gory, and intense (did I say that already). I highly recommend this film...but remember, it's filmed camcorder-style.

What you get for the idea
*minor spoilers*

I haven't bought the video yet, but I saw it once in theatres and now have it on Netflix - and I've been watching it about every two days for the past two weeks. (Actually this last couple times it's been good background noise...) But I rated the film five stars because it is everything you get for the idea Abrams wanted to put on the screen.

The first thing I want to review, however - more address - is the complaint of the shaky camera. You've got a handheld camera being held by an amateur. OF COURSE things are going to be shaky. People who have complained about this I feel two things for. One: get over it. It's supposed to be that way, it's supposed to be gritty and real and even annoying, just like a basic home movie would be. Two: if it DOES cause you to be sick, I'm sorry. Perhaps you weren't warned about it when you walked into the theatre. But that's the fault of the theatre, not the fault of the movie. So stop blaming the director and the camera operator for it.

I thought the camera work was quite well. You could even tell the differences based on who was holding the camera. Rob had a fairly steady hand during the flashback scenes, (though it was shaky near the end - but he WAS being BOMBED), Hud's camerawork improved throughout the film. Jason had a shaky hand, period, because he was trying to learn how to work the thing. For the complaints about how shaky things were - he was walking, running, ducking, and of course there was this huge MONSTER walking around whose footsteps likely caused at least some minute shaking. We're supposed to see the film through the camera lens, not Hud's eyes, (an argumentative point given how often he zoomed into Marlena during Lily's testimonial).

The camera should not be blamed for 'making this film bad'.

I was mildly annoyed at the usage of 'monster movie moments'. Of course, it IS a monster movie, so it is going to follow some of the same tracks. I do wish the annoying little buggers hadn't shown up when they did though. The moment the night vision was on, they were visible. It would have been a little scarier if they had shown up sometime AFTER the vision was on so the audience was over their initial "He's going to turn it on and the monsters will be there", and was just beginning to relax. Then all of a sudden SURPRISE!

What I am most worried about is that they are planning a sequel (or prequel, not sure which). This movie caught audience attention from its first trailer running, (which I believe was in front of Transformers?), and sheer curiosity factor made for a huge opening night. (I say brilliant marketing). But half of the world seemed to like it and half hated it. A sequel will diminish the power of the film.

I thought it was an Action/Romance/Sci Fi movie *SPOILERS"
I saw Cloverfield twice the first weekend it came out, I thought it was a really good story. I still don't understand where the monster came from, was it a U.S.Government fabrication that got loose? Where did it come from?

For me, this was a love story.

There are elements of Sci Fi (the monster) and Action (everyone running around screaming and trying not to get eaten and just survive it all), but these elements had to be included to attract those of us interested in Sci Fi and Action.

The love or romance part has to do with the two people involved. They both fight at his going away party, and it's their tape of that one special day together that gets taped over while making this "movie". Thats why you see bits and pieces of their special day at Coney Island every so often. It has to do with him being stripped to the core of his being after losing his brother and observing the chaos around him, and deciding that his love for her is real and he's not going let her go or lose her, especially after her phone call telling him she's in trouble.

The remainder of the cast chose to follow him around in his quest to find her and save her. They all had a good opportunity to leave the city. And I found him to be noble in choosing to go after her.

In the end, they died anyway, but they died together.

It would've been nice to find out where the monster came from and if it died too.