I really enjoyed it. It didn't live up the hype, but I kind of think that the hype was unintentional and that this wasn't supposed to be as big as it was.
Overall, it was entertaing, intense, and a lot of apocalyptic fun. (My favorite kind of fun.) The monster was excellent and those little nasties were quite horrible. (We kept joking that the monster just had crabs.)
I didn't find the movie disorienting at all, but we had a lot of fun mocking the warning signs at the ticket counters. We pretended to throw up in the garbage cans after we left the theater.
My only complaint is that it could have been longer. Maybe thirty minutes or so. I just kind of wanted more. More confrontation with the monster, more character development.
It was still pretty good though.
I think the shot towards the end where Hut is face to face with the monster was really stupid and against the style of the rest of the movie. It just sneaks up on them from nowhere in the middle of Central Park, and then takes the time to observe and maul a single person. It was really just an excuse to see an close-up of the monster's face, but I don't think that was necessary. We had seen JUST the right amount up until then, very satisfying and still mysterious. Seeing that close and detailed, and focusing on one random person.... it made it seem smaller.
Definitely. I'd wanted to see the thing up close, but that whole shot was just bad. The thing's face didn't seem very scary like that (or well animated) and it just felt rushed. The monster did look small. According to Wikipedia, it's supposed to be a few hundred feet tall. It didn't look a few hundred feet tall there.
When I heard that they would show the monster up close, I'd clearly envisioned a scene where the characters are hiding somewhere and the monster pokes it's head in looking for them, with them hiding and it sniffing the air and looking creepy. I can see this scene so clearly that I really wish they'd done something similar.
Having said that, the movie was mostly awesome. That first time you get a clear look at its face as it walks over the streets and roars right down at you for a second was the definition of movie magic. The thing was suspensful as heck and like I said, I could easily have taken another hour of it or more. I was loving it the whole time.
Yes. You know how when you're watching a good disaster/horror movie and you keep thinking about what you'd do if you were put in the same situation and how you'd react? When the monster comes right at the camera and everyone takes off running, for a half a second, the line kind of disappeared and I felt like I was there. I spent about 5-10 seconds just screaming "JESUSCHRIST!" over and over again in my head.
That's a great thing for a movie to accomplish.
I was disappointed they killed off Marlena so early because I thought she was the best character and her interaction with Hut the most interesting part of the movie.
Another reason it should have been longer. I wanted to see Hud and Marlena developed more before she went all kablooey.
Documentary. They should do a documentary about the origins of the monster and the aftereffects of the attack. Incorporate some of the footage from the original film as well as other cameramen from the event and news coverage to flesh out the action and you've got an interesting sequel. Probably straight to DVD.
Great idea. Maybe they could do it as a special feature on the DVD. A Michael Moore-style investigative documentary about the Tagruato people and the incident at the oil rig.
