Cloverfield has been one of the most hyped movies in some time. Last summer, a teaser trailer played before Transformers that left many wondering what the movie was about. It soon came out that it was a monster movie. The movie had a very creative viral marketing scheme, and this of course built the hype to enormous levels.

The big question when something is hyped as much as Cloverfield was (and still is), is does it live up to the hype? I must say that it definitely does. Jason and I went and saw it on the second night of showing, and it was quite an experience. Experience is an important word, because that’s precisely what it is. It is unlike any movie you’ve seen. Some people immediately screamed “It’s Godzilla meets Blair Witch!” Well, yes, it has elements in common with those movies. It’s a monster movie. And it was supposedly filmed with a handycam. But that’s where the similarities end. This movie has a point; Blair Witch was a pointless waste of time. It was not even remotely scary, because there was no payoff.

Back to the experience. It was totally immersive. The initial attack by the monster was pretty creepy – they did a good job building up to it. It should also be noted that the monster was not the focal point of the movie. It really only had about six or seven minutes of screen time. The rest concentrated on the small group of friends trying to get out of NYC alive. It’s one helluva ride, and a movie that everybody should see once. Due to the uniqueness, it’s not something you’d want to see multiple times, because you know how it’s going to pan out. By the way, Jason, apparently we should’ve stayed until the end of the credits (possible spoilers).

I highly highly highly recommend going and seeing it. And soon.