10. It’s not another American version of Godzilla. (Thank God!)

Let’s get this out of the way first. This movie is not 1998’s Hollywood version of Godzilla. Nor is it the movie that Godzilla should’ve been. Really, aside from the fact that both films feature a gigantic creature thrashing about New York, they’re so different in style and intent that any comparisons beyond that should be immediately disregarded. In other words, forget Godzilla. That movie sucked. Cloverfield, meanwhile, is something different entirely, and warrants all the hype it’s gotten thus far.

9. The expected “problems” are not problems.

Not unlike other hyped-up films that have been released in the past, Cloverfield has had plenty of naysayers to go along with all those that have remained hopeful and optimistic. Question is, how many of the potential problems being discussed (the runtime, PG-13 rating, shaky cam, etc.) are actual problems?

Truth be told, none.

First off, the relatively short 85-minute runtime works perfectly considering what type of film this is. Since the “movie” is basically the recovered footage off the tape found in Central Park, it wouldn’t make sense for one of the characters to put in a new tape halfway through, which is basically the only way the filmmakers could’ve extended things.

Secondly, the PG-13 rating never poses a problem. This is not an excessively gory movie, but some of the things that happen are certainly gruesome enough to make your mind feel like it is. The fact that you don’t see every little detail in close-up actually makes it even more effective. And intense. Really goddamn intense.

Saving the most prominent for last, there’s the shaky cam. OK, I’m not gonna lie, it does take a little getting used to during the early sequences. But once you become invested in the film, the handheld style solidifies itself as a vital part of what the whole situation so powerful and realistic. Whereas some movies use shaky cam as a way to hide poor CGI or feign intensity, Cloverfield uses it because, without it, it wouldn’t look believable. Without it, the movie would’ve failed.

8. Hud.

7. The monster.

6. The parasites.

5. It’s something new.

4. Blockbuster, or independent?

3. It feels real.

2. It’s not just a movie, it’s an experience.

1. It delivers on everything it promised.

This list has been severely abridged. To read the full list and full descriptions, view the original post at it’s source:

10 Reasons Why Cloverfield Lives Up To The Hype (The Watchers Podcast)