Every time I hear Abrams' comment about wanting to give America its own monster, it triggers me just a bit considering the direction he took the "sequels." I think a more conventional route of continuing the series as a monster movie franchise would've potentially yielded more success for the Cloverfield series.
Yeah, perhaps if the Cloverfield series continued on as a monster series it would have accomplished more. Although Clover isn't very iconic as far as designs go, it's ok but it's also kind of bland.
Yep...and the sad thing is...there were mumblings of a sequel and then it felt like all enthusiasm for it died down. 'The Cellar' was morphed into a Cloverfield movie and the franchise became an unconnected 'anthology' series....and that created backlash. You would have thought with films like Pacific Rim and Godzilla 2014 that they would have jumped on a sequel and not on disconnected 'anthology' films. But then it seems like as a response to the backlash, The Cloverfield Paradox is now morphing into a sort of 'shared universe' and is wanting to bring the giant monster back into the fold....almost as a response to backlash and the resurgence of the Giant Monster genre. Time will tell if they pursue a true sequel and if something more substantial comes of the Cloverfield legacy....but right now it hasn't amounted to being anything close to the American Godzilla.
I remember reading that the Cloverfield series was mostly just different scripts bought and then having the Cloverfield name tacked on. That’s why none of them have anything to do with one another.
If Cloverfield is meant to be the western equivalent of Godzilla, there's one thing it didn't do that it's predecessor did: acknowledge humanity's connection to causing the monster's rampage. Imagine Godzilla without the connection to the nuclear bombs dropped at the end of WW2. It wouldn't have had nearly the staying power that it does.
Maybe "Cloverfield" was designed to resemble the utter chaos and confusion caused by 9/11 attacks much like Godzilla was designed to resemble the devastation and destruction caused by the WW2 bombings, but still Toho found a way to make something iconic and lovable out of such horror represented by Godzilla, while Clover is a one hit wonder at best, heck even the 1998 (God)Zilla had its own comic book and series
In the viral marketing leading up to the release its revealed that the monster was awoken by a company's deep sea drilling platform so it does technically have that connection.
I love cloverfield, not only is it unique and cleverly stylized with the found footage it really metaphorically represents terrorism September 11th attacks who the point of view in a monster movie. Also, having to speculate about this movie was pretty Wild. I give cloverfield an 7.7/10
@@symbiote1982pk take it as it is, it makes the movie have more depth and more disturbing scenes. Like the last scene where it shows the satellite crashing into the ocean, which showd aa glimpse into Cloverfield's interesringly/chaotically put together timeline.
Cloverfield was my first giant monster movie and even though it's not really amazing after the first time it sparked a love of giant monsters for me. I have been watching giant monster movies ever since.
Honestly, this is one of my favorite kaiju movies solely because of how unique it is. It’s one of the few kaiju stories that actually emphasizes how genuinely terrifying it would actually be to see and experience a giant monster attack. Honestly, there are only a handful of other kaiju stories that do this. Some being Shin Godzilla, The Heisei Gamera Trilogy, Project Nemesis (that’s a book, but it still counts), and Gojira 1954. But what makes Cloverfield unique is The whole found footage angle. It uses that masterfully to really put it in perspective how terrifying this would actually be.
Another thing that keeps Cloverfield from being Godzilla is the monster design. The 1954 Godzilla is supposed to have skin that resembles a burn victim’s skin, particularly a burn from a radioactive nuclear explosion. He even breathes a thermonuclear heat ray. Clover’s design or abilities have little to do with the concept of terrorism. I mean, there really isn’t a way to do that, as in convey the concept of terrorism as a monster that you can look at and go “terrorism”. It’s less of the fault of the filmmakers, and more just that giving a giant monster the visual aesthetic of terrorism is nearly impossible to do. To me, the concept of creating a giant monster as a symbol and icon has to be pretty dang near impossible and down to pretty much every detail. To make something truly last, it has to either resonate with people on a psychological level or just be really really cool. I think that Godzilla is resonant because of the abstract concepts he represents. He can be a warning tale about the use of weapons of mass destruction, he can be a force of nature representing natural disasters or human failures, he can be an antihero as a lesson about understanding the true nature of those around us, he can be a symbol of environmentalism, he can be construed to represent, to a degree, the relationship Japan has with the United States, etc. Godzilla is resonant because, in a way, we have all experienced Godzilla or maybe have even been Godzilla. We have all been affected by a tragedy we couldn’t control or resist, and we have all been misunderstood and judged harshly in someone else’s point of view. AAAAAND he’s a cool big lizard that breathes fire and wrecks stuff and fights other big monsters
Such a shame they wasted this franchise by just using the name to market lesser movies with nothing to do with the original other than retconned moments.
@@m.f.m.8290 I didn't like it as much as Cloverfield but it isn't a bad film. I just couldn't get into it as I was so pissed off I'd basically been tricked into thinking it was a sequel.
@@TheEbrithil2 but by now I think most of know the story. 10 Cloverfield Lane was originally called "The Cellar" and then came in JJ who forced it into the Cloverfield franchise.
I dont think Abrams was necessarily trying to make his own version of the first Godzilla. I mean we knew what Godzilla was a cause of and it was a traditional narrative. This movie to me was just an oh shit a monster is attacking what do we do, which is why the abrupt ending of them bombing the city is perfect. Its shot in a way that were not supposed to figure out really anything about it, even the name of the movie. He wanted this to be like this was a government file that leaked to the public.
I agree. King Kong also does have a broader premise to the monster's rampage - the folly of capitalistic hubris (though this has become a film cliché at this point). King Kong would not have rampaged through New York if people hadn't arrogantly assumed he could be brought there and made into a profitable circus attraction without a thought to his own feelings and perspective on events. It is very similar to Godzilla in that sense - ultimately it is a film about hubris. King Kong, however, is a film made by an emerging superpower. He is ultimately overcome, and the nation given a chance to learn from its folly. Cloverfield is a film made by a declining superpower, uncertain and full of fear for the future. And that shows. Perhaps that's why Americans find Godzilla more relatable these days than King Kong.
@Raymond Tremblay He is a creature stolen from it's home and used for humans entertainment. He is a story of tragedy and how a big civilization cares so little about wildlife and we have no problem caging it up and using it for our own personal gain. America is probably one of the most well known countries for doing something of that kind. Kong is taken from his home where he rules, and is thrown into a concrete jungle with nobody to rely on because they now want him dead because he tried to escape corporate greed. Then he dies, he falls from the top of one of the most iconic buildings in America away from his home and it isn't his fault at all.
I've always enjoyed _Cloverfield,_ have been since I first saw it in cinema. I was one of those who was deeply intrigued during the build-up to its release, and had even tried to find pictures of the monster, all of which were wrong, and so I was still very surprised by how it looked once I saw the film and liked it. I do really wish that they had made a movie franchise revolving around this monster, rather than the convoluted series we actually end up getting. I could see the sequel centering on the military and their futile yet fierce attempts to combat the monster as it continues rampaging across the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, maybe towards Wash, D.C.
I'm a huge fan of Cloverfield. It's so simple - it's a love story. The found footage style helps capture the raw emotion of how the characters react to the disaster better than any kaiju film before or since. To me, that's the most interesting part of any monster film, and what stands about Godzilla 1954. Godzilla 2014 tried to touch on it but for the most part failed. Shin Godzilla focused on the government's reaction which was different and still impactful. But Cloverfield really puts you there with the regular people on the ground, and that's always been fascinating to me. I've always been much more interested in what the people running away from Godzilla's latest rampage are going through than the scientists who are running toward him. I never gave much thought to the 9/11 overtones of Cloverfield until watching this. A very interesting take that gives me even more respect for the film. I remember some people were offended by the 9/11 imagery when it came out - but let's be real, most American critics have never really understood the art or importance of monster movies. I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on Bong Joon-Ho's THE HOST - the best monster movie I've ever seen. It's more about family than anything else, but also includes some good political intrigue that gives it some more weight than Cloverfield.
I find it funny that Abrams wanted an “American equivalent” to Godzilla, because while the King of the monsters does embody nuclear terror, I think that Godzilla can be seen as a metaphor for the United States and it’s relationship with Japan. Hear me out, in the first movie a sleeping giant is awakened and rains fire from the skies death destruction and horror come from its attack. This parallels the US and Japan during WWII. In later films Godzilla evolves from a terrible enemy to the lesser of two evils. Much like the USA and the USSR. Godzilla may not particularly like Japan, but he’s better than King Ghidorah or the other evil Kaiju. In the modern era Godzilla has basically become for better or worse the worlds police, keeping the other kaiju/titans in check, but still operates by his own rules and no one else’s. This sentiment is best captured at the end of Godzilla KOTM when a character remarks “It’s a good thing he’s out our side...... for now.” In conclusion, I find it ironic that Abrams wants an American Godzilla when Godzilla himself can be seen to represent the USA.
Godzilla was not merely meant to represent the US, or even nuclear terror as such. As cruel as the nuclear bombings were, Japanese at the time were also fully aware that Japan had declared war on the US, not the other way around. It was also meant to represent the ultimately consequences of unchecked human belligerence and war, steamrolling over the lives of ordinary people. It's very much a post-WWII axis perspective film. It could have been set in Germany and would still fit the theme. It encapsulates a desire from WWII survivors for humankind to overcome belligerence and create a peaceful world at a time when it very much seemed like World War III was just over the horizon, and that it would be a full-blown nuclear war.
I remember going to see this movie at the local theatre with my brother, and what really struck me about it was just how few people were interested in seeing it. The screening we were at only had one or two others, and even the ticket people were surprised to hear that was the film we wanted to see. It really did seem like everyone was going out of their way to avoid seeing this one, which was a shame as I and my brother ended up really liking it :(
I love this movie and must have seen it at least 20 times or more back in the day on DVD. All the aspects you mention about 9/11 and the found footage aesthetic (The Blair Witch Project was a disappointment to watch after this) really struck a cord with me at the time, perhaps because my dad and I used to film trips and family gatherings with a similar DV tape handicam back then. The last 20 minutes don't quite work as well as the rest (though the short length is refreshing), and some have complained about the monster seemingly changing size, but it didn't matter much to me. Thanks for making me want to watch it again!
Wait a minute, are you telling me that the most famous series of giant monster movies influenced a film about a giant monster? Well I sir am thoroughly shocked by this revelation.
Awesome video! I personally love this movie. I think the characters are entertaining and the effects hold up, also I love the monster design. Another big thing I love about this movie is the marketing with the ARG and stuff.
I hated that JJ Abrams referred to Cloverfield as "America's kaiju" and he didn't think King Kong didn't fit that. King Kong literally started the giant monster genre.
Tbh I do like this movie sure it’s not a Godzilla or Kong movie but it just focus on the characters surviving trying to escape from the monster destruction rather than the military trying to focus on how to kill it
Always liked this movie. But a great, on point analysis here as well. One of the original criticisms was that the characters themselves were bland and uninteresting. I have never agreed with that assessment; even now, years later, I can easily recall them, who they were, and what role they played in the story. Part of what makes the ending so effective. The lack of explanation is also a strong point: makes the whole film far more haunting.
This movie scared me when i first saw it in theatres as a kid. I didnt really like it. It was pretty scary, and unlike the Godzilla movies i watched, the movie was intense. And the ending made it worse with them all dying. It was just so apocalyptic. But now, i appreciate this film. Regardless that its still scary and the ending was unfavorable
Surprisingly good film! One of the few examples, where all this mocumentary feature were done right and very well executed. The only one better would be of course, District 9. All others fails so miserably with this style, especially in direction of photography.
Japan: Ok, let's make a movie about a creature that reflects our fears and exploits our weaknesses, that puts the human condition into perspective, with just the right amount of spectacle to round it all up. America: Let's make it all about the spectacle, but shoot it in found footage. Me: Do what you want. But do it good.
Cloverfield is easily my favorite kaiju movie of the last...well....I'd have to go back to the '70s. It's just slightly better for me than Shin Godzilla, and better than Godzilla Minus One (although, admittedly, Godzilla Minus One did give me more geekgasms in the theater than Cloverfield did). And I usually don't like shakey-cam found-footage movies. One minor point: the origin of the monster is revealed at the very end, but it's easy to miss it. That split-second reveal is why the government is using the footage as evidence. I'd be surprised if many moviegoers could detect it in the theater. It needs to be slowed-down and/or rewinded to notice it. No spoilers from me, though.
Very cool insight! Good job. 👍 Cloverfield is a film I hold in high regard so, this was a cool perspective to have not known of before. You illustrate your points so clearly, and I can see what you are saying.
As a kid I really loved the design of the monster in the film, I guess it was the simplicity, but now even though I still like it, I wish they added more to it. Stuff that really make it stand out
I feel like Cloverfield and the Spielberg adaptation of War of the Worlds are good examples of films that don't seem to have much to say, apart from acting as a type of cultural catharsis. In a way, the catharsis is the message. They almost feel like chasing a high running off morbid curiosity and a compulsion to relive traumatic moments again and again - attempting to recapture some essence of the inexplicable terror American/"Western" culture experienced.
I have to disagree on one thing, Cloverfield is good in its representation of those affected by the 9/11 attacks. Those who lost loved ones don't really have much in the way of closure and still feel the effects many years later. Something that the movie put into perspective.
I just really can't do "found footage" or artificial shaky cam, bobblehead cam for more than a few min. And I hated this movie for a long time. But it has a little bit of purge in it, and a little bit of the dead rising 1st movie. It grew on me. It has a lot of neat little things in it that work, and that have worked in other films, that isn't really tried a lot. And I really appreciate that a monster movie broke out like a zombie movie, and a home invasion movie. To be greater and go outside the lines a bit.
one nice thouch is how it's Rob's Japanese company that awakens the monster when it's satellite crashed into the ocean. So in JJ's vision Japan created our monster and we Americans created theirs.
Me: *sees title* You mean other than it being one of the first films to introduce the whole 'big monster attacks a city thing' which is exactly what Clover Field is about?
Cloverfield being a metaphor for 9/11 makes sense. That explains more about the scene where the people at the party go to the roof to see what's going on and one of the background characters says "Is it another terrorist attack?" I thought it would be questionable because well the movie is set 7 years after 9/11 kinda how the original Godzilla film was set 9 years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
I never got to finish this movie due to the shaky cam giving me motion sickness. Your review has made me reconsider some of the depth of this movie. I normally tend to dismiss JJ Abrams work but I didn't know he was going for an 9/11 allegory. This is a good review you are very insightful.
I rewatched the movie in the last month,after many years since my last viewing,and I liked better the second time around. I just have two issues, I want a sequel where we see clover more,and people's dismissal of King Kong.
Good review of the meaning of Godzilla and Cloverfield. If we proceed from the assumption that a good monster movie has to symbolize some national tragedy, then what tragedies are there to symbolize? It seems that the new American Godzilla movies have taken the natural disasters as their point of departure. Especially the Japanese Fukushima power plant crisis. But what other tragedies could monsters stand for? Donald Trump? Constant school shootings? Financial crisis?
Paradox is definitely bad but Lane is such a great thriller but honestly I wish they didn’t slap the cloverfield name on the movie just to sell tickets
I think if you wanted to make a film tied to national trauma for America in the same way that Godzilla is to Japanese audiences, you actually have to go to smaller-scale trauma and consequently smaller-scale monsters (which there is probably less of a market for). 9/11 profoundly affected America, but to compare its effects to the bombings of Hiroshima or Nagasaki (or the firebombing of Tokyo, which claimed more lives than either) is absurd. The wound is not as deep as the one represented by Godzilla no matter how you try to spin it, so the metaphor can't be or it comes off as being hysterical or whiny. I doubt anything nearly as profound can be done with a monster movie until the next time a war is fought on US soil.
You're the only one here calling Americans "whiny" for being upset that thousands of innocent people were murdered. This isn't the fucking oppression olympics. If the Americas killed were personally responsible for dropping the bombs you MIGHT have a ghost of a point.
I don't know. It's not about comparing the scales of the trauma. Only that in the way Godzilla represents trauma to Japan, Cloverfield was meant to represent the trauma to the US.
Just because one country suffered worse doesn't negate the "lesser" suffering of another country. This is like telling a depressed person to stop being depressed because soldiers during WW2 went through worse.
Honestly imagine If It had been a cthulhu movie like some espaculated Actually, when I think about it, maybe If It was with the Works of lovecraft, the sequels would have made much more sense
In the same way prior American involvement in the Middle East gave rise to the very threat that attacked the towers, there could have been some connection between human involvement and the origin of the cloverfield monster, and it’s unfortunate that no such connection was made.
Gzilla100 no. King Kong is more of a pop culture thing. Our “American Monster” is the Legendary version of Godzilla. But it not as popular as you’d think
I liked it but I found it very... strange. It was a meh to me, and I've seen only once. It was okay and it was entertaining but it didn't leave any lasting impression like most Godzilla movie did. Especially yhe original.
This is NOT the Cloverfield that I saw. My movie had John Goodman in it....oh...wait...I just looked it up. It was called '10 Cloverfield Lane.' I get it. I thought Cloverfield was well executed from a civilian's point of view and not the director's point of view. However, with all the Godijra 1954 elements in place, I just was not feeling Godzilla. It never once crossed my mind. Which probably made JJ very happy.
I agree, I mean I find this movie to be so forgettable. When I first saw it I wasn't impressed by it since I'm not really a fan of found footage films plus we don't really get a good look at the monster until the very end. Plus Clover design isn't that appealing since I find it kinda goofy in away. Overall I thought the movie was okay but again I find it so forgettable. This is just my opinion by the way.
Everybody told me it sucked. But when i saw it, i liked it. The shakey camera work was kinda annoying . The 2nd time i watched i thought it was a good idea.
happy 15th anniversary cloverfield! while i view king kong as the true kaiju of america and the series fumbled hard trying the connectivity even showa godzilla had(instead of confirming he was from the sea could've had clover be from the aliens in the sequel.) do think it does it's themes well especially the parasites idea from return of godzilla fleshed out.
I remember people speculating that Cloverfield was going to be a Gritty reboot of Power Rangers.
That would have been insanely cool. The 2017 reboot fell flat.
I heard it was Voltron and not Power Rangers
@@26th_Primarch fr literally heard nobody say Power Rangers😂😂 I did hear it was a “Godzilla” movie
I thought it was mistaken for a Voltron movie because of the misinterpretted line “I saw it its a Lion its huge!”
It’s morphing time.
Every time I hear Abrams' comment about wanting to give America its own monster, it triggers me just a bit considering the direction he took the "sequels." I think a more conventional route of continuing the series as a monster movie franchise would've potentially yielded more success for the Cloverfield series.
Yeah, perhaps if the Cloverfield series continued on as a monster series it would have accomplished more. Although Clover isn't very iconic as far as designs go, it's ok but it's also kind of bland.
Yep...and the sad thing is...there were mumblings of a sequel and then it felt like all enthusiasm for it died down. 'The Cellar' was morphed into a Cloverfield movie and the franchise became an unconnected 'anthology' series....and that created backlash.
You would have thought with films like Pacific Rim and Godzilla 2014 that they would have jumped on a sequel and not on disconnected 'anthology' films. But then it seems like as a response to the backlash, The Cloverfield Paradox is now morphing into a sort of 'shared universe' and is wanting to bring the giant monster back into the fold....almost as a response to backlash and the resurgence of the Giant Monster genre.
Time will tell if they pursue a true sequel and if something more substantial comes of the Cloverfield legacy....but right now it hasn't amounted to being anything close to the American Godzilla.
I remember reading that the Cloverfield series was mostly just different scripts bought and then having the Cloverfield name tacked on. That’s why none of them have anything to do with one another.
want to know what the funny thing is. america does have its own monster. his name is king kong
Yeah, I totally agree. And either way I've always considered King Kong as "America's monster"
Abrams: I want to give America its own monster.
King Kong: Am I a joke to you?!
Biplane Machine Gun: Yes, Yes you are.
Skull Island: you kidding boi ?
Cloverfield is 5 times bigger than the skull island kong
@@redbon8918 no and wtf.
king kong? monster? HAH more like king simp! thats a real monster!
Anyone ever notice how the MUTOs in Godzilla 2014 resemble the Cloverfield monster?
Oh yeah
They look like a remake version of Cloverfield
Yeah...which is larger cloverfield or the MUTOs?
Ion see it
Not that much actually other than the lankiness.
If Cloverfield is meant to be the western equivalent of Godzilla, there's one thing it didn't do that it's predecessor did: acknowledge humanity's connection to causing the monster's rampage. Imagine Godzilla without the connection to the nuclear bombs dropped at the end of WW2. It wouldn't have had nearly the staying power that it does.
Maybe "Cloverfield" was designed to resemble the utter chaos and confusion caused by 9/11 attacks much like Godzilla was designed to resemble the devastation and destruction caused by the WW2 bombings, but still Toho found a way to make something iconic and lovable out of such horror represented by Godzilla, while Clover is a one hit wonder at best, heck even the 1998 (God)Zilla had its own comic book and series
In the viral marketing leading up to the release its revealed that the monster was awoken by a company's deep sea drilling platform so it does technically have that connection.
@@jr02179 but awaken. Not made.
There is the satellite falling into the ocean at the end, though it's far in the background.
@@rsfilmdiscussionchannel4168 I knew there was something up with that shot of the sea
I love cloverfield, not only is it unique and cleverly stylized with the found footage it really metaphorically represents terrorism September 11th attacks who the point of view in a monster movie. Also, having to speculate about this movie was pretty Wild. I give cloverfield an 7.7/10
Ahh yes, found footage, so unique, not an overused short cut. Nope, nosiree.
@@symbiote1982pk take it as it is, it makes the movie have more depth and more disturbing scenes. Like the last scene where it shows the satellite crashing into the ocean, which showd aa glimpse into Cloverfield's interesringly/chaotically put together timeline.
Cloverfield was my first giant monster movie and even though it's not really amazing after the first time it sparked a love of giant monsters for me. I have been watching giant monster movies ever since.
Honestly, this is one of my favorite kaiju movies solely because of how unique it is. It’s one of the few kaiju stories that actually emphasizes how genuinely terrifying it would actually be to see and experience a giant monster attack.
Honestly, there are only a handful of other kaiju stories that do this. Some being Shin Godzilla, The Heisei Gamera Trilogy, Project Nemesis (that’s a book, but it still counts), and Gojira 1954. But what makes Cloverfield unique is The whole found footage angle. It uses that masterfully to really put it in perspective how terrifying this would actually be.
Another thing that keeps Cloverfield from being Godzilla is the monster design.
The 1954 Godzilla is supposed to have skin that resembles a burn victim’s skin, particularly a burn from a radioactive nuclear explosion. He even breathes a thermonuclear heat ray.
Clover’s design or abilities have little to do with the concept of terrorism. I mean, there really isn’t a way to do that, as in convey the concept of terrorism as a monster that you can look at and go “terrorism”. It’s less of the fault of the filmmakers, and more just that giving a giant monster the visual aesthetic of terrorism is nearly impossible to do.
To me, the concept of creating a giant monster as a symbol and icon has to be pretty dang near impossible and down to pretty much every detail.
To make something truly last, it has to either resonate with people on a psychological level or just be really really cool. I think that Godzilla is resonant because of the abstract concepts he represents.
He can be a warning tale about the use of weapons of mass destruction, he can be a force of nature representing natural disasters or human failures, he can be an antihero as a lesson about understanding the true nature of those around us, he can be a symbol of environmentalism, he can be construed to represent, to a degree, the relationship Japan has with the United States, etc.
Godzilla is resonant because, in a way, we have all experienced Godzilla or maybe have even been Godzilla. We have all been affected by a tragedy we couldn’t control or resist, and we have all been misunderstood and judged harshly in someone else’s point of view.
AAAAAND he’s a cool big lizard that breathes fire and wrecks stuff and fights other big monsters
maybe they should of had the monster wear a turban
To me, It actually kind of resembles the look of Arabs. More specifically, the look of Osama Bin Laden.
Maybe if it’s theme was an Arabic Nokia ringtone
@@notmariolevi2863 what?
@Stavros Kousoulakis it's name is and always has been clover.
Such a shame they wasted this franchise by just using the name to market lesser movies with nothing to do with the original other than retconned moments.
I really don't think 10 Cloverfield Lane is a lesser movie by itself, at least not until the forced connection to Cloverfield
@@m.f.m.8290 I didn't like it as much as Cloverfield but it isn't a bad film. I just couldn't get into it as I was so pissed off I'd basically been tricked into thinking it was a sequel.
@@m.f.m.8290 was there even a connection besides the name? Cloverfield Paradox at least had the ending.
@@TheEbrithil2 a shit ton of easter eggs and an arg, all of which was made in late production
@@TheEbrithil2 but by now I think most of know the story. 10 Cloverfield Lane was originally called "The Cellar" and then came in JJ who forced it into the Cloverfield franchise.
I dont think Abrams was necessarily trying to make his own version of the first Godzilla. I mean we knew what Godzilla was a cause of and it was a traditional narrative. This movie to me was just an oh shit a monster is attacking what do we do, which is why the abrupt ending of them bombing the city is perfect. Its shot in a way that were not supposed to figure out really anything about it, even the name of the movie. He wanted this to be like this was a government file that leaked to the public.
I always thought King Kong was our american monster. He definitely has more resonance than Cloverfield.
@Raymond Tremblay he's big and stupid
I agree. King Kong also does have a broader premise to the monster's rampage - the folly of capitalistic hubris (though this has become a film cliché at this point). King Kong would not have rampaged through New York if people hadn't arrogantly assumed he could be brought there and made into a profitable circus attraction without a thought to his own feelings and perspective on events. It is very similar to Godzilla in that sense - ultimately it is a film about hubris.
King Kong, however, is a film made by an emerging superpower. He is ultimately overcome, and the nation given a chance to learn from its folly. Cloverfield is a film made by a declining superpower, uncertain and full of fear for the future. And that shows. Perhaps that's why Americans find Godzilla more relatable these days than King Kong.
@@mikicerise6250 agreed completely
@Raymond Tremblay He is a creature stolen from it's home and used for humans entertainment. He is a story of tragedy and how a big civilization cares so little about wildlife and we have no problem caging it up and using it for our own personal gain. America is probably one of the most well known countries for doing something of that kind. Kong is taken from his home where he rules, and is thrown into a concrete jungle with nobody to rely on because they now want him dead because he tried to escape corporate greed. Then he dies, he falls from the top of one of the most iconic buildings in America away from his home and it isn't his fault at all.
@Raymond Tremblay it's an American film made by Americans, for Americans partially set in America. Do I need to go on or shall I just call you stupid?
I've always enjoyed _Cloverfield,_ have been since I first saw it in cinema. I was one of those who was deeply intrigued during the build-up to its release, and had even tried to find pictures of the monster, all of which were wrong, and so I was still very surprised by how it looked once I saw the film and liked it. I do really wish that they had made a movie franchise revolving around this monster, rather than the convoluted series we actually end up getting. I could see the sequel centering on the military and their futile yet fierce attempts to combat the monster as it continues rampaging across the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, maybe towards Wash, D.C.
How to make a good Kaiju movie: Find a recent disaster and reflect a monster off of that.
Thanks for the hint!
I actually created a kaiju that is a metaphor for slaves standing up to their oppressors.
I’m assuming that some random Kaiju came out of nowhere and killed everybody and then died.
Man, the 2020 monster is going to be wild -__-
Yeah. Now I'm eager for the Trumperfieldzilla movie.
I'm a huge fan of Cloverfield. It's so simple - it's a love story. The found footage style helps capture the raw emotion of how the characters react to the disaster better than any kaiju film before or since. To me, that's the most interesting part of any monster film, and what stands about Godzilla 1954. Godzilla 2014 tried to touch on it but for the most part failed. Shin Godzilla focused on the government's reaction which was different and still impactful. But Cloverfield really puts you there with the regular people on the ground, and that's always been fascinating to me. I've always been much more interested in what the people running away from Godzilla's latest rampage are going through than the scientists who are running toward him.
I never gave much thought to the 9/11 overtones of Cloverfield until watching this. A very interesting take that gives me even more respect for the film. I remember some people were offended by the 9/11 imagery when it came out - but let's be real, most American critics have never really understood the art or importance of monster movies.
I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts on Bong Joon-Ho's THE HOST - the best monster movie I've ever seen. It's more about family than anything else, but also includes some good political intrigue that gives it some more weight than Cloverfield.
"the ending lacks any real closure"
This is Cloverfield, not Closurefield...
I'm sorry
No no you did good
Be not sorry. That was perfect.
No stay.
That was a good one.
That was actually pretty good ngl.
10/10
5:36 LOL Spongebob is playing on the tv on the left.
6:22 they even tell u that they used clips from Spongebob
HaHa, I saw Sandy and thought the same thing !
Good reference catch, as the monster likely came from under the sea--
That's Odd, SpongeBob and Nickelodeon are Owned by ViacomCBS and Paramount Pictures.
Cloverfield is immensely rewatchable. Not every movie requires a "message", good old fashioned entertainment is FINE.
I personally prefer the Host, but yeah Clover is alright
I find it funny that Abrams wanted an “American equivalent” to Godzilla, because while the King of the monsters does embody nuclear terror, I think that Godzilla can be seen as a metaphor for the United States and it’s relationship with Japan.
Hear me out, in the first movie a sleeping giant is awakened and rains fire from the skies death destruction and horror come from its attack. This parallels the US and Japan during WWII.
In later films Godzilla evolves from a terrible enemy to the lesser of two evils. Much like the USA and the USSR. Godzilla may not particularly like Japan, but he’s better than King Ghidorah or the other evil Kaiju. In the modern era Godzilla has basically become for better or worse the worlds police, keeping the other kaiju/titans in check, but still operates by his own rules and no one else’s. This sentiment is best captured at the end of Godzilla KOTM when a character remarks “It’s a good thing he’s out our side...... for now.”
In conclusion, I find it ironic that Abrams wants an American Godzilla when Godzilla himself can be seen to represent the USA.
Godzilla was not merely meant to represent the US, or even nuclear terror as such. As cruel as the nuclear bombings were, Japanese at the time were also fully aware that Japan had declared war on the US, not the other way around. It was also meant to represent the ultimately consequences of unchecked human belligerence and war, steamrolling over the lives of ordinary people. It's very much a post-WWII axis perspective film. It could have been set in Germany and would still fit the theme. It encapsulates a desire from WWII survivors for humankind to overcome belligerence and create a peaceful world at a time when it very much seemed like World War III was just over the horizon, and that it would be a full-blown nuclear war.
man that’s deep *hits blunt*
Cloverfield 2008 is one of my favorite movies of all time. Sad that the ''sequels'' dont even show it like in the first one.
well you cant rlly call them sequels since they arent even offically called sequels
their more like alternate stories that happen in the same universe @@kamui4552
absolutely wonderful analysis
you got yourself a new subscriber!
I can rewatch cloverfield over & over it just depends on when im in the mood
Charles Loftin same
That feeling when you discovered a really cool channel that hasn't uploaded in almost a year...
2 years to be precise
I remember going to see this movie at the local theatre with my brother, and what really struck me about it was just how few people were interested in seeing it. The screening we were at only had one or two others, and even the ticket people were surprised to hear that was the film we wanted to see. It really did seem like everyone was going out of their way to avoid seeing this one, which was a shame as I and my brother ended up really liking it :(
I love this movie and must have seen it at least 20 times or more back in the day on DVD. All the aspects you mention about 9/11 and the found footage aesthetic (The Blair Witch Project was a disappointment to watch after this) really struck a cord with me at the time, perhaps because my dad and I used to film trips and family gatherings with a similar DV tape handicam back then. The last 20 minutes don't quite work as well as the rest (though the short length is refreshing), and some have complained about the monster seemingly changing size, but it didn't matter much to me. Thanks for making me want to watch it again!
Wait a minute, are you telling me that the most famous series of giant monster movies influenced a film about a giant monster? Well I sir am thoroughly shocked by this revelation.
lmao
My word, you reach far. He just wanted America to have its own monster, not a message about 9/11.
Awesome video! I personally love this movie. I think the characters are entertaining and the effects hold up, also I love the monster design. Another big thing I love about this movie is the marketing with the ARG and stuff.
Cloverfield is still my favorite American kaiju movie, the roar still gets me to this day.
Starship troopers is a must see
The cloverfield “universe” feels like random movies that aren’t really connected but try to be
I remember watching this movie and being really into it
I hated that JJ Abrams referred to Cloverfield as "America's kaiju" and he didn't think King Kong didn't fit that. King Kong literally started the giant monster genre.
Bruh
godzilla 1954 and cloberfield 2008 are one of the most depressing movies of all time
Wait till you see the End of Evangelion
I love it, it’s my favorite found footage movie.
You just made me love this movie even more. Thank
Tbh I do like this movie sure it’s not a Godzilla or Kong movie but it just focus on the characters surviving trying to escape from the monster destruction rather than the military trying to focus on how to kill it
i actually love rewatching it
Always liked this movie. But a great, on point analysis here as well. One of the original criticisms was that the characters themselves were bland and uninteresting. I have never agreed with that assessment; even now, years later, I can easily recall them, who they were, and what role they played in the story. Part of what makes the ending so effective. The lack of explanation is also a strong point: makes the whole film far more haunting.
I loved clover field it was an amazing movie and I only seen it once and I want to watch it again!
This movie scared me when i first saw it in theatres as a kid. I didnt really like it. It was pretty scary, and unlike the Godzilla movies i watched, the movie was intense. And the ending made it worse with them all dying. It was just so apocalyptic.
But now, i appreciate this film. Regardless that its still scary and the ending was unfavorable
LOL. That says it all for how campy Godzilla has become.
Also scared me so much as a kid and became my favourite movie
This is America’s version of Godzilla. And in my opinion, with respect to the Japanese original, the best giant monster attacks a city movie
No king kong is the anerican godzilla
No that’s King Kong. Also superior to the Godzilla franchise
Now that JJ Abrams' Bad Robot has set up shop at Warner Brothers, perhaps this creature will eventually get incorporated into the Monsterverse! :)
My top 3 kaiju movies are Cloverfield, Godzilla 2014, and Pacific rim !
I love this channel.
Such a great film it’s a shame the sequels weren’t so great.
Cloverfiled lane was amazing Imo, but it would have been so much better if it were its own thing instead of a sequel
Paradox on the other hand...
Ah Cloverfield, almost forgot about this one
I watched it three times and i want to watch it again
It’s watchable, but most respectable kaiju movie I’ve ever seen for actually putting the eye of the audience at the innocent civilians
I loved this film so much. Even loved it as a kid.
Now I love Godzilla, he's my favorite monster. But I do think cloverfield deserves more love
Surprisingly good film!
One of the few examples, where all this mocumentary feature were done right and very well executed.
The only one better would be of course, District 9.
All others fails so miserably with this style, especially in direction of photography.
Cloverfield was my favourite movie because its unsetling and emotional while having intense action and Monsters ofc
Japan: Ok, let's make a movie about a creature that reflects our fears and exploits our weaknesses, that puts the human condition into perspective, with just the right amount of spectacle to round it all up.
America: Let's make it all about the spectacle, but shoot it in found footage.
Me: Do what you want. But do it good.
Cloverfield is easily my favorite kaiju movie of the last...well....I'd have to go back to the '70s. It's just slightly better for me than Shin Godzilla, and better than Godzilla Minus One (although, admittedly, Godzilla Minus One did give me more geekgasms in the theater than Cloverfield did). And I usually don't like shakey-cam found-footage movies.
One minor point: the origin of the monster is revealed at the very end, but it's easy to miss it. That split-second reveal is why the government is using the footage as evidence. I'd be surprised if many moviegoers could detect it in the theater. It needs to be slowed-down and/or rewinded to notice it. No spoilers from me, though.
This movie reminds me a lot of 2014 Godzilla. Not the way it’s shot but because of the tone and I really love them both for it.
I cant tell what clips are from 9/11 or the movie anymore
I like cloverfield
And watch the sequels as their own
Very cool insight! Good job. 👍 Cloverfield is a film I hold in high regard so, this was a cool perspective to have not known of before. You illustrate your points so clearly, and I can see what you are saying.
Abrams: I want to give America their own Kaiju franchise.
Also Abrams: lol nope!
As a kid I really loved the design of the monster in the film, I guess it was the simplicity, but now even though I still like it, I wish they added more to it. Stuff that really make it stand out
Great review BUT NOT REWATCHABLE? My Letterboxd disagrees.
Turns Out That Cloverfield is Actually a Gorgo/Reptilicus Crossover Rip-Off. Not a Blockbuster At All!
the movies budget was to low to be considered a blockbuster
Cloverfield as a symbol of sudden drastic chaotic change does well, cloverfield as a symbol of myserious space/sea alien ooooooooo, not so much
Do you think cloverfield influenced Godzilla 2014?
No. They both serve two completely different purposes.
I feel like Cloverfield and the Spielberg adaptation of War of the Worlds are good examples of films that don't seem to have much to say, apart from acting as a type of cultural catharsis. In a way, the catharsis is the message. They almost feel like chasing a high running off morbid curiosity and a compulsion to relive traumatic moments again and again - attempting to recapture some essence of the inexplicable terror American/"Western" culture experienced.
I love Cloverfield as a movie because the human side of story touches me. I love Godzilla movies simply because I love Godzilla.
5:36 *insert a spongeboi meme here*
The hell are you talking about I can rewatch this movie for a week and still be scared you are absolutely wrong about that
Shut
its only his opinion
I have to disagree on one thing, Cloverfield is good in its representation of those affected by the 9/11 attacks. Those who lost loved ones don't really have much in the way of closure and still feel the effects many years later. Something that the movie put into perspective.
I just really can't do "found footage" or artificial shaky cam, bobblehead cam for more than a few min. And I hated this movie for a long time.
But it has a little bit of purge in it, and a little bit of the dead rising 1st movie. It grew on me. It has a lot of neat little things in it that work, and that have worked in other films, that isn't really tried a lot. And I really appreciate that a monster movie broke out like a zombie movie, and a home invasion movie. To be greater and go outside the lines a bit.
one nice thouch is how it's Rob's Japanese company that awakens the monster when it's satellite crashed into the ocean. So in JJ's vision Japan created our monster and we Americans created theirs.
Me: *sees title* You mean other than it being one of the first films to introduce the whole 'big monster attacks a city thing' which is exactly what Clover Field is about?
Cloverfield being a metaphor for 9/11 makes sense. That explains more about the scene where the people at the party go to the roof to see what's going on and one of the background characters says "Is it another terrorist attack?" I thought it would be questionable because well the movie is set 7 years after 9/11 kinda how the original Godzilla film was set 9 years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
I never got to finish this movie due to the shaky cam giving me motion sickness. Your review has made me reconsider some of the depth of this movie. I normally tend to dismiss JJ Abrams work but I didn't know he was going for an 9/11 allegory. This is a good review you are very insightful.
I love this movie.
Just imagine if Cloverfield DID go the route Godzilla went and the Cloverfield monster ended up doing ninja moves on other giant monsters
I 100% agree with your assessment
For those of us who experienced the real thing, using 9/11 feels really exploitative.
So if Japan’s giant monster icon is Godzilla, and America’s giant monster icon is Clover..
Then what’s Australia’s giant monster icon??
Isn't Tarantula an Australian Documentary ?
But honestly the best thing that comes to my mind is Mick Taylor as 'Human Monster'...
nature I gues
My kaiju movie favorite
I rewatched the movie in the last month,after many years since my last viewing,and I liked better the second time around. I just have two issues, I want a sequel where we see clover more,and people's dismissal of King Kong.
Good review of the meaning of Godzilla and Cloverfield. If we proceed from the assumption that a good monster movie has to symbolize some national tragedy, then what tragedies are there to symbolize? It seems that the new American Godzilla movies have taken the natural disasters as their point of departure. Especially the Japanese Fukushima power plant crisis. But what other tragedies could monsters stand for? Donald Trump? Constant school shootings? Financial crisis?
Mass stupidity.
J.J siendo J.J , quisiera haber hecho godzilla, quisiera haber hecho e.t, quisiera haber hecho star wars....
Paradox is definitely bad but Lane is such a great thriller but honestly I wish they didn’t slap the cloverfield name on the movie just to sell tickets
I think if you wanted to make a film tied to national trauma for America in the same way that Godzilla is to Japanese audiences, you actually have to go to smaller-scale trauma and consequently smaller-scale monsters (which there is probably less of a market for). 9/11 profoundly affected America, but to compare its effects to the bombings of Hiroshima or Nagasaki (or the firebombing of Tokyo, which claimed more lives than either) is absurd. The wound is not as deep as the one represented by Godzilla no matter how you try to spin it, so the metaphor can't be or it comes off as being hysterical or whiny. I doubt anything nearly as profound can be done with a monster movie until the next time a war is fought on US soil.
You're the only one here calling Americans "whiny" for being upset that thousands of innocent people were murdered. This isn't the fucking oppression olympics. If the Americas killed were personally responsible for dropping the bombs you MIGHT have a ghost of a point.
I don't know. It's not about comparing the scales of the trauma. Only that in the way Godzilla represents trauma to Japan, Cloverfield was meant to represent the trauma to the US.
Just because one country suffered worse doesn't negate the "lesser" suffering of another country. This is like telling a depressed person to stop being depressed because soldiers during WW2 went through worse.
Honestly imagine If It had been a cthulhu movie like some espaculated
Actually, when I think about it, maybe If It was with the Works of lovecraft, the sequels would have made much more sense
I really liked the movie I agree, I have seen it once and don't really plan to watch it again. And I was never interested in the sequel either.
CLoverfiled lane is great, but its better if you view it as an original movie instead of a sequel
In the same way prior American involvement in the Middle East gave rise to the very threat that attacked the towers, there could have been some connection between human involvement and the origin of the cloverfield monster, and it’s unfortunate that no such connection was made.
what is that monster
oh i know its a GIANT muntent spider
whats the movie footage at 3:45?
San andreas
5:34
Somebody fr put on spongebob on at this time
Is King Kong the American monster
Gzilla100 no. King Kong is more of a pop culture thing. Our “American Monster” is the Legendary version of Godzilla. But it not as popular as you’d think
I liked it but I found it very... strange. It was a meh to me, and I've seen only once. It was okay and it was entertaining but it didn't leave any lasting impression like most Godzilla movie did. Especially yhe original.
This is NOT the Cloverfield that I saw. My movie had John Goodman in it....oh...wait...I just looked it up. It was called '10 Cloverfield Lane.' I get it. I thought Cloverfield was well executed from a civilian's point of view and not the director's point of view. However, with all the Godijra 1954 elements in place, I just was not feeling Godzilla. It never once crossed my mind. Which probably made JJ very happy.
“Not rewatchable” MY ASS
I thought Cloverfield was terrible. Bad dialogue. Characters I didn't care about constantly making stupid decisions. No payoff.
I agree, I mean I find this movie to be so forgettable. When I first saw it I wasn't impressed by it since I'm not really a fan of found footage films plus we don't really get a good look at the monster until the very end. Plus Clover design isn't that appealing since I find it kinda goofy in away. Overall I thought the movie was okay but again I find it so forgettable. This is just my opinion by the way.
Everybody told me it sucked. But when i saw it, i liked it. The shakey camera work was kinda annoying . The 2nd time i watched i thought it was a good idea.
happy 15th anniversary cloverfield!
while i view king kong as the true kaiju of america and the series fumbled hard trying the connectivity even showa godzilla had(instead of confirming he was from the sea could've had clover be from the aliens in the sequel.) do think it does it's themes well especially the parasites idea from return of godzilla fleshed out.
Imagine watching this film but persecution of the masses was playing
Imagine you hearing this and Clover starts glowing purple.
But the missing of music during the movie gives it the right atmosphere.
@@dracometeors3010 yes the atmosphere is what the film succeeds at
@@DarthVader-bd6dz good to know how many others appreciate it.
Gonzo style filming