Cloverfield 4.5/5 (C)

Probably the best popcorn film we'll see all year.

Everything bad I'd heard about Cloverfield seemed to centre around the fact that the characters were far too irritating and bland and therefore the stakes were never set. Maybe expecting them to be really irritating meant that when they were only mildly smug I didn't mind becuase they weren't as bad as I'd been lead to belive.

The thing is I don't think it really matters that there is no character development. I don't even mind the implausibility of these people sticking together to go on a near impossible mission when they should just be running for their lives. The way this film is set up you pretty much know how it's going to end and with that understanding there is no need to invest in these people, in fact becuase you're waiting for the inevitable to happen not caring about the gang helps you through the experience.

There is a plot but it's purpose isn't to evoke emotion or to make you think, it's there solely to get from set piece A to set piece B and make sure that you have fun along the way. It really is a roller coaster ride and the most fun I've had in the cinema for a very long time.

Sadly it isn't perfect and by the end of the pleasingly short running time these niggles add up which is why it ended up not being a 5 star film. However as I'm writing this I'm tempted to change my mind becuase it's possible that Cloverfield could turn out to be one of the most important films ever made.