Cloverfield! a shameless 9.5 out of 10

Director Matt Reeves and producer J. J. Abrams, obviously love their horror and monster films. They have shamelessly stolen ideas from a whole host of the better movies in the genres and have dovetailed them into a cracking film that pays direct homage to the likes of The Host,,The Blair Witch Project,War of the Worlds and even Escape from New York (see pic below), The Blair Witch Project I remember created the shakey,hand held point of view "amateur" footage that was so innovative in the 1990's and Cloverfield. uses this style well adding to the mix a post 9/11 sense of tv disaster to create a truely frightening and exciting visual experience.

I won't spoil the plot too much, but the jist of the story lies around 6 twenty somethings in downtown New York and their efforts to save one of their group when a huge monster literally destroys the city. We have panic in the streets, a sphincter clenching chase sequence through the subways,( the best part of the film) and even a crazily leaning skyscraper with a rooftop rescue scene reminiscent of The Towering Inferno. Coupled to all that, The Brooklyn Bridge crammed to the seams with refugees gets the disaster treatment,the monster (and thousands of parasitic mini-spider like monsters which it sheds) trashes every bit of Manhattan in a rather too realistic a style and the rather likable set of characters get picked off one by one in typically upsetting set pieces.

I loved the movie, but of course I knew I would ten minutes into the film.It is what it is..........a monster film rollercoaster ride which delivers exactly what it says on the tin.