Thanks to a savvy marketing campaign that began six months ago, Cloverfield arrives in theatres to no small amount of buzz and anticipation. Shot on a relatively small budget with a relatively unknown cast, Cloverfield is cut straight from the mold of those campy Japanese Godzilla films of the sixties and seventies. Seasoned with a splash of modern sensibilities that give the film a more contemporary feel, it is missing one key ingredient: fun.

The film opens from the perspective of a recovered videotape with an eerie reference to an "area formerly known as Central Park.” The tape begins with the date April 27 and the frivolous recordings of a pair of twenty-somethings, Rob and Beth. The exploits of young love are captured as they roam the streets of the Big Apple—a documentation of new romance starting to bloom, a sort of visual diary for the You Tube generation.

Quick jump to May 22 and a surprise going away bash for Rob (Michael Stahl-David), who is leaving for a job in Japan. As part of documenting the occasion, the video camera is placed in the hands of good friend Hud (T.J. Miller) who attacks his newfound responsibilities with the determination of a warrior. Even in the midst of chaos and the world literally falling apart around them, Hud never neglects his duty.

Since their earlier fling, Rob and Beth had gone separate ways. When Beth shows up at his going away party with another guy, it is an ominous reminder of how little we can control the daily minutiae of our lives. A fact that is only confirmed a hundredfold when the party is interrupted by a giant creature who chose this night to attack the city. Of course, good old Hud is there to make sure it is all caught on video.

The initial scenes of the attack are the most intense of the film. Eerily reminiscent of 9/11, these scenes are harrowing in their realism. The idea of an unknown force attacking New York City resonates within us all—the wounds are too fresh in our memory. In the context of this film, it seems highly inappropriate and insensitive, bordering on manipulation. When the source of the attack is finally revealed as a giant creature it is almost a relief to know and see the enemy. Too bad the monster looks like a combination of an albino bat and a plucked turkey.

With its choppy and jumpy camera work, Cloverfield tries so hard to be edgy that it forgets what these types of movies should be about: having fun. It takes itself so seriously that when the film slips into banality it is unforgivable. Are we really to believe that Hud held onto that camera and kept shooting during times of unbearable fear and tension? Would Rob really venture all the way back into the city and toward the monster to “rescue” his ex-girlfriend? Is it likely his friends would blindly follow him and risk their own lives just so he can get his girl back? Can one really survive being impaled on rebar through the chest?

Cloverfield does raise some interesting thoughts about our culture: the impact of new media outlets and how information is gathered and shared. Hud’s video camera is a witness to history and the footage captured it all in real time. What Cloverfield reveals about human nature is the scariest thing of all: the city is under attack from an unknown monster, the military has stepped in and taken control of the fight, Rob’s own brother and many of his friends have been killed before his eyes, thousands if not tens of thousands of people are surely dying in the streets and all Rob can think about is rescuing a girl with whom he had a fling with a few months ago.

Hearts may swoon and think that is romantic—I think it is scary, downright terrifying. Proves that the human heart is deceitfully wicked beyond all things—even a giant monster that looks like a plucked turkey.