On the eve of his departure for Japan, Rob sees his going-away party as an opportunity to confess unresolved feelings and tie up loose ends. His agenda takes an unexpected turn when a jolt shakes the revelers. After rushing to the roof to assess the damage, a fireball explodes on the distant horizon. Confusion gives way to panic as the party goers stumble through a blackout and into the streets. Amid the human screams and one inhuman roar, Rob and his friends must traverse a landscape that has changed, overtaken by something otherworldly, terrifying, monstrous and frankly just pissed-off.
First, I was really worried about motion-sickness from the previews as it looked a lot like the same disorientation might result from all the shaky, hand-held point of view that I got from The Blair Witch Project. But luckily it never really bothered me.
The recent controversy about the film is that it's playing to all the 9/11 fears. Well, so many things about it are similar to that I guess, with the hysteria and destruction as buildings tumble and dust clouds blast through the streets. Once the monster hits the screen though, I just sort of forgot about all that.
This is really just an old-school monster movie, Ala Godzilla, with a couple of things different. One is that you're right in the middle of the action due to the way it's shot, almost like a home movie just from the viewpoint of this one group of friends.. I think this is what makes this film so effective. It's a monster movie for the YouTube generation. It feels "real". Another more modern touch is the special effects when you do get to see the monster fighting the armed forces look really fantastic. It's not guy in a bad costume, the monster is bad ass and he's got some freaky little friends with him. I loved the sounds and the up-closeness, it made me really jumpy. It was like a thrill ride.
It's a thriller, told like a documentary, that is loaded with tension and a whole helluva lot of fun.
I think it lived up to the the hype personally.
8.5/10
0 comments:
Post a Comment