(Originally written Jan. 2021.)
(2018)
Dir. Julius Onah
Rated: PG-13
The Cloverfield Paradox is set in a dystopian world struggling with a severe energy crisis. In a desperate attempt to save humanity, a space station is launched into orbit to fire a giant particle beam at the Earth in order to solve the said crisis. The station’s machinery goes haywire in the first act (who would’ve thought?), and the crewmates must work together to reverse its effects as all kinds of wonky things happen to the station. Although it’s part of the Cloverfield trilogy spearheaded by J. J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), the stories themselves are only loosely connected. They feature entirely different casts each time, the common thread being the threat of some monster-alien invasion lurking in the distance.
The only thing I really liked was the special effects used to show the different effects that the misfired beam had on reality. They’re very disturbing—at least to me, a novice when it comes to horror—but the movie doesn’t barrage you with the creepiness, so it was definitely tolerable. The trailer gave away most of the weird scenes, anyway. (Side note: don’t watch Netflix trailers! They’re just mini versions of the movie that spoil the whole thing.)
If you stripped away the special effects from this movie, there wouldn’t be much left. The characters were better done than Cloverfield, sure—there’s more screen time of actual talking and less of the camera swinging wildly sideways—but there could’ve been a bit more development, especially with the main character. There are moments obviously meant to be tearjerkers, but you never feel connected enough to empathize with her.
The acting was nothing special, nothing that attracted me. The only thing I really remember is that I kept overlaying the image of Daniel Bruhl as a German physicist with his portrayal of Helmut Zemo in Captain America: Civil War. They’re pretty much the same: both evil-looking guys with thick accents that look like they want to take over the world. It’s a shame since he seems to be a good actor if given a compelling character. He’s just got a knack for that little-crazy conspiratory look.
The first two films of the franchise and the threequel couldn’t be any more different. Cloverfield is a refreshing take on the monster horror genre that keeps you glued to the screen with unorthodox twists and constant action. 10 Cloverfield Lane is a riveting thriller delving into issues of trust and morals when faced with uncertainty. The Cloverfield Paradox, on the other hand, is the kind of movie that makes cinephile greats disillusioned with sci-fi. Some moderately good special effects and forced storylines are thrown in, but I was thoroughly dissatisfied by the time the credits rolled.
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