The Cloverfield Paradox

The third installment of the Cloverfield saga, The Cloverfield Paradox follows a group of scientists and astronauts as they attempt to solve Earth’s energy crisis by kickstarting an experimental device. Filmmaker Julius Onah delivers a striking opening stretch that’s as inventive as it is engrossing – the opening credits alone are incredibly well done – and The Cloverfield Paradox progresses into a compelling first half rife with memorable, stand-out moments. It’s clear, as well, that the movie benefits substantially from the efforts of a uniformly top-notch cast, with stellar performers like Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Aksel Hennie, and Elizabeth Debicki infusing their respective characters with perhaps more depth than the screenplay affords them. (And it’s worth noting, too, that Chris O’Dowd steals every one of his scenes as a somewhat off-the-wall engineer.) And while the film remains quite watchable from start to finish, The Cloverfield Paradox segues into a fairly hit-and-miss midsection that seems to invent a new problem for the crew to fix every 15 minutes or so (ie there’s not much momentum here or the feeling that it’s all building towards something). The erratic atmosphere is compounded by a third act that’s not quite as satisfying as one might’ve hoped (ie this isn’t a story crying out for a slasher-like villain), and yet The Cloverfield Paradox, bolstered by a willingness to answer questions raised by the first two movies, ultimately establishes itself as a decent sequel that seems to promise further adventures in this universe (which would not be unwelcome, certainly).

*** out of ****