An enjoyable and intense roller-coaster rideA modern day take on the old-fashioned Godzilla monster movie, the film centres around a group of friends in New York trying to survive as some unknown entity attacks the city, all shot through one of the character's hand-held video camera. Whilst thoroughly entertaining I still had a few issues with the film.
It tries it's damn hardest to break barriers and not come across as a typical Hollywood movie (and I must admit, for the majority it achieves this) yet at times it still felt awfully predictable and cliché in that traditional Hollywood way. It sounds Hollywood and acts Hollywood, it just doesn't look it thanks to its innovative (yet some could argue unoriginal) use of a hand held camera held by one of the characters to show exactly what's going on. They, like us, have no idea, and we only know as much as them throughout the whole movie, which perfectly adds to the tension and suspense. The way things are revealed are done in a completely realistic way as well, which further add to the effect.
Writer JJ Abrahms, as he does with hit series Lost, keeps the tension flowing without giving anything away- there are no scientists who explain what is going and why, we, like the characters, are there for the ride. And once it starts, it is powerfully relentless and undeniably intense. Like I said before the film does suffer from its fair share of clichés (the cast ultimately come off as the cast of Friends stuck in a monster movie with at times dire and cringe worthy dialogue) but try to see passed it and enjoy the movie (alas I couldn't which made me write a whole other piece on this film where I rant on what I didn't like).
Whilst neither original or new in it's ideas and concepts (the catastrophes predominantly runs parallel to 9/11 and terrorist attacks which is the fear comes from as it all seems just a bit too real, and considering the whole movie is shot through a hand held camera is blatantly similar to the infamous and iconic footage we are all familiar with regarding the WTC attacks so for me this movie just came off as a blatant exercise in post-9/11 terrorist xenophobia just like Spielberg did with his War of the Worlds remake), it is still a very well made that is original in the way it is executed, which will keep you literally on the edge of your seat till the very last second. Shocks come thick and fast and there is suspense aplenty, all adding up to a very good nights worth of entertainment.
A somewhat unique though highly entertaining attempt at trying something new with the traditional "giant mosnter attacks city" Godzilla theme.
7/10
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