Starring
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Daniel Bruhl, Elizabeth Debicki,
Roger Davies, John Ortiz, Chris O'Dowd, Aksel Hennie, Zhang Ziyi.
Directed by Julius Onah. (2018/101 min).
AVAILABLE
ON BLU-RAY FROM
Review
by Stinky the Destroyerđź
Somewhat
famously, Paramount sold The Cloverfield Paradox to Netflix
rather than release it theatrically. Netflix paid more for the film
than it actually cost to produce, meaning it turned a profit before
anyone saw a single frame. Smart move.
Even
more famously, Netflix aired a trailer during the Super Bowl,
surprising the world by announcing the film would be available
immediately after the game. Another smart move, since over three
million viewers tuned-in during its first three days of streaming.
As
it turns out, Paramount and Netflix did all of us a solid. When I saw
the Super Bowl commercial, I was pleasantly surprised (and even
more-so after the Eagles ended up winning the game). Having
thoroughly enjoyed both Cloverfield and 10 Cloverfield
Lane, I watched it right away. Since I wasn't required to get
dressed and leave the house, I enjoyed The Cloverfield Paradox
for what it was: a decent enough time killer, but easily the weakest film in
this tenuously-linked franchise. Had the movie cost me 12 bucks in a
theater, I'd have driven home feeling short-changed.
 |
| "You know...if there were two doctors on this ship, we'd have a pair o' docs." |
In
this one, there is a worldwide energy shortage. Onboard the
Cloverfield, a massive orbiting space station, a small group of
scientists attempt to fire-up the Shepard, a particle accelerator
that, if successful, can provide unlimited energy for the entire
planet. Instead, it causes a collision with an alternate universe,
sending the laws of physics into chaos. Earth as they know it
disappears, replaced by one on the verge of war. A mysterious new
crew member suddenly appears, who claims to know them, while others
fall victim to a variety of strange, deadly - and sometimes icky -
events. Meanwhile, the world is suddenly under attack by giant
monsters (presumably like the one that destroyed New York in the
first film).
 |
| This space station is heavily armed. |
Like
10 Cloverfield Lane, this one was originally conceived as a
stand-alone film before being retooled as a Cloverfield movie, but
connections to that so-called universe are ambiguous at-best. Anyone
looking for answers to questions raised by 10 Cloverfield Lane's
perplexing climax will be disappointed. To really get anything out of
this, the viewer is better off ignoring the intrusive Earthbound
segments and simply enjoy the basic story for what it is: an
occasionally intriguing piece of sci-fi/horror not unlike Event
Horizon or an
extended Star Trek
episode. And even though the plot doesn't bare a hell of a lot of
scrutiny, there are enough creatively unnerving set-pieces to make it
worth checking out.
The
Cloverfield Paradox is now on
Blu-ray, another smart move since not everyone has Netflix and some
of us still prefer physical media (the film looks a hell of a lot better on disc than it ever did streaming). If you already have Netflix and felt the film was
a post-game letdown, why are you still reading this?
EXTRA
KIBBLES
FEATURETTES
- "Things Are Not as They Appear: The Making of The
Cloverfield Paradox"; "Shepard Team: The Cast"
KITTY CONSENSUS:
NOT BAD. LIKE CAT CHOW.
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