Gonger Reviews: The Cloverfield Paradox

The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

....minus a point for title. 'The God Particle' was much better! 

Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Daniel Bruhl, John Ortiz, Chris O’Dowd, Aksel Hennie, Ziyi Zhang, Elizabeth Debicki, and Roger Davies.

Synopsis: Scientists tamper with the very fabric of time and space to create free energy and wonder why the laws of physics turn straight up savage against them! Nothing comes for free fool!

Cinematography: I didn’t like the mock-shaky cam. What is a mock-shaky cam you ask? Well its better than a real shaky cam in the fact that it keeps the subject in frame and doesn’t make you wanna lose your lunch. Dan Mindel just shakes the framing a bit, but what for? I know this franchise has its roots in shaky cam but it just doesn’t fit the picture especially when the scenes on the space station Cloverfield are so clean. And what's with that shot of the slusho figurine? It was like a billion years long dude! I know thats a bit nit picky but you must understand when dealing with a beautiful mind like my own, stuff like that will drive me batty! Like Roy Batty! (*Gasp* Replicant!). I don’t want to rip into it too much.......but it is a made for TV movie with ok camera work. 1/2

Writing: I thought the concept was pretty cool. At first you think your going to get an Alien (1979) clone but Oren Uziel and Doug Jung create more of a Sunshine (2007) clone. It works, but the subplot is useless and the conflict between the characters is lacklustre at best. The events dealing with the damaged reality of the experiment are pretty neat though. I have a feeling budget got the best of this feature, though, as it does just play out as a longer episode of the Twilight Zone (1959-1964) - and not a good one. The characters aren’t stupid - which is a plus! Everything that happens to them is external and isn’t their fault...well, save tampering with the fabric of reality - but they didn’t know they where going to do that! And on the plus, there isn’t a moment where you sit there saying “Oh don’t go in there... WHY DID YOU GO IN THERE!”

It's a neat little flick that isn’t a brain draining sci-fi about war... I didn’t say Star War! Star Trek's doing it too alright! Geez I’m not blind! 1.5/2

Directing: Safe. Deliberate. Clean. Tight. On schedule? It was all a bit clinical really. A little to planned out maybe? Is that the sign of a good director? Julius Onah sets up a interesting vision but fails to knock it out of the park. He seems to get a lot out of his actors so that's a thing. I really can’t say anything good or bad about this process other than I’d like to see more risks. It might fail but at least it would be remembered. 1/2

Acting: The players are on their A-game here. There is some nice character development. Very distinctive. I appreciate that. O’Dowd is a little typecast here as the funny man but I like it. He was the only one who seemed to recycle old character traits (see. The IT Crowd {2006-2013}). Mbatha-Raw is dynamic and interesting as the lead. I think Hennie is the best, however, brief as his performance was. It was kind of an ode to John Hurt’s Kane. The acting is honest. Good enough for me. 1.5/2

Marketing: Well they did it. They duped us. Well, not me. I know everything. They dropped hints “Oh yeah, where making a Cloverfield movie, it should come out sometime this year.” Just a bit a hype “Yeah, it's called The God Particle, pretty nifty right?” And they knew we didn’t care. That's why they waited till we were at our most vulnerable getting fat off chips and beer, watching America's beloved Super Bowl. Yes! Sitting unsuspecting of the movie trailer and release of the century! BOOM!!! There it is! And you all gazed upon it and thought “Cool, I’ll probably check that out. Wonder if theres any more dip.” Ha! Gripped and entranced you where and there in the dark Netflix laughs. Now they got your fucking money... I love it! 2/2  

6/10 I still liked it and its good for what it is. Just because the points don’t line up doesn’t mean it can’t be a 10/10 in our hearts.

Allan Stringer @Gonger_Reviews

Allan Stringer (if that's his real name) hails from the Mutara Nebula and has travelled through space and time to check out the only thing us pathetic humans have to offer: movies. Marvel at his intelligence!