“The Cloverfield Paradox” started off promising.
With the first and only ad airing during the Superbowl, audiences were simply told the film would be available right after football finished.
That is about the last good thing that can be said of “The Cloverfield Paradox.”
The third in an episodic series started a decade ago with “Cloverfield,” a shaky, found footage movie following a young group’s journey after an offscreen monster attacks New York City.
The second film, “10 Cloverfield Lane,” received critical acclaim, though some criticize the loose ties to the “Cloverfield” universe.
The same could be said about this movie, barring the critical acclaim.
Instead of a monster flick, we received a sci-fi thriller filled with plot holes and overt callbacks.
I hope “The Cloverfield Paradox” cited their sources, because it is filled with heavy-handed nods to classic sci-fi.
These include but are not limited to an “Alien” chest-bursting scene, the ever-dangerous rotating space station from “Interstellar” and even an “Evil Dead 2” disembodied hand.
Callbacks aside, one of the film’s positives is its beautiful cinematography.
The realistic views of Earth and tight close-ups on characters do more worldbuilding than any piece of dialogue.
After a continuous energy crisis plagues Earth, we see no choice but to send our “best” scientists into orbit.
Earth’s hopes fall on the Shephard particle accelerator.
I don’t know what it does, and, it seems the scientists don’t either.
Using vague wording like “quantum entanglement,” director Julius Onah hopes to brush over actual scientific explanation in favor of sentient liquid metal and parallel universes.
The film starts strong with a compelling and scarily realistic near-future scenario where gas prices are $30 a gallon and earth is one button push from another world war.
We meet Ava Hamilton, a scientist played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and follow her as she struggles with losing her children and saving the planet.
She is joined by her merry band of cliches like the immediately antagonistic Russian and strong, silent U.S. commander.
Together they hope to create infinite energy to end the crisis and restore peace to the planet.
What follows is an hour and 20 minutes of increasingly ridiculous scenarios thanks to “quantum entanglement.”
Eventually, Onah wraps the film by giving us the first close-up shot of the infamous “Cloverfield” monster.
Unfortunately, it’s only for five seconds and is a thinly-veiled grab at attracting interest in a sequel.
To properly rate this movie took more thought than I originally guessed.
It’s a delicious looking candy shell filled with a bland and entirely forgettable center.
It took a while to digest the beautiful cinematics and better-than-average score, but I was left with a sour taste.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, to her credit, delivers a performance that “The Cloverfield Paradox” does not deserve.
She brings believability and depth of emotion that takes her character a level or two deeper than the others.
“The Cloverfield Paradox” is best read, not watched. If you have any interest in the continued “lore” of the series, then it may be worth a watch.
Keyword, may.
Griffen Winget can be reached at [email protected]