By Ahmad Childress

We like monster movies here. Not the J-Horror remake kind, the full blown grand scale kind that Toho made famous with the Godzilla franchise. We also like a good mystery and the new movie Cloverfield has us more than intrigued.

The movie has three of five of our great monster movie criteria.

Building sized monster on the loose - Check

Man sized monsters (to get in those hard to reach areas) - Check

Historic landmarks getting destroyed - Double Check

Guy in a rubber suit suspended by (visible) cables - No Check

Leather clad talking Apes from the future - Whoops, wrong genre

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Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman.

Synopsis: Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives.



Producer J.J. Abrams (kneeling, left), director Matt Reeves (standing, center) and producer Bryan Burk (kneeling, right) on the set of “Cloverfield.”



A decapitated Statue of Liberty stands in New York harbor.


 

The disembodied head of the Statue of Liberty.



The disembodied head of the Statue of Liberty has been tossed into the streets of New York by a terrible monster.




A decapitated Statue of Liberty stands in New York harbor.



(Front) Rob (Michael Stahl-David, right) has come to Beth’s (Odette Yustman, left) rescue in a collapsed building with the help another friend, Lily (Jessica Lucas, rear).




(Front) Rob (Michael Stahl-David, right) has come to Beth’s (Odette Yustman, left) rescue in a collapsed building with the help another friend, Lily (Jessica Lucas, rear).



Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) tries to avoid being shot by the military, which is battling a ferocious monster that has attacked Manhattan.



Rob (Michael Stahl-David, left) and Beth (Odette Yustman, right) are terrorized by a monstrous creature.



Left to right) Lily (Jessica Lucas) and Rob (Michael Stahl-David) try to enlist Hud’s (T.J. Miller) help to rescue a friend in a collapsed building.




(Left to right) Rob (Michael Stahl-David) comes to the rescue of Beth (Odette Yustman) in a collapsed building with the help of two other friends, Lily (Jessica Lucas) and Hud (T.J. Miller).



Beth (Odette Yustman, left) and Rob (Michael Stahl-David, right) try to escape New York in a military rescue helicopter.




Producer J.J. Abrams (left) and actress Lizzy Caplan (right).



Rob (Michael Stahl-David, center rear) is horrified when his wounded friend is whisked away from him.




(Left to right) Rob (Michael Stahl-David), Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) and Lily (Jessica Lucas) are on the run from a terrorizing monster.



(Left to right) Lily (Jessica Lucas), Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), Rob (Michael Stahl-David), and Hud (T.J. Miller) seek refuge with the military troops protecting New York from a terrorizing monster.




Rob (Michael Stahl-David, center) seeks refuge from a monstrous creature.



Rob (Michael Stahl-David, left) and Lily (Jessica Lucas, right) try to keep out deadly parasitic creatures who are chasing them.




Marlena (Lizzy Caplan, left) and Rob (Michael Stahl-David, right) try to escape underground from deadly parasitic creatures who are chasing them.



(Left to right) Rob (Michael Stahl-David), Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) and Lily (Jessica Lucas) are on the run from a terrorizing monster.




(Left to right) Executive producer Sherryl Clark with actors Michael Stahl-David and T.J. Miller.



Director Matt Reeves (left) and actress Lizzy Caplan (right).




Beth (Odette Yustman) attends a going-away party for a young man she has developed feelings for.



Jason (Mike Vogel, left) attends a going-away party for his brother Rob (Michael Stahl-David, right).



Rob (Michael Stahl-David, center) is given a going away party by his friends.

Release date: January 18, 2008

This film has been rated PG-13 for violence, terror and disturbing images.

Check back next week for our review of the film and red carpet premier video coverage.