JJ Abram’s latest baby is here, after months of speculation generated by last summer’s trailer and an Internet viral campaign. It’s basically a Godzilla-like monster movie shown through the eyes of a guy’s camcorder. There are many reports of people feeling sick and even throwing up thanks to the savage shaky-cam work. I certainly saw way more people getting up and out of the theater than in any other movie I remember (except for Vatel, but that’s a different story).

I liked the movie and had a great time. I don’t consider it a great movie by any standards: the plot and writing was crap, the acting was basic at best, and a good quarter of the movie (the beginning) was uninteresting and downright boring. However, the action was intense, the visual style (once you accept the shakycam) worked very well, and the ending was satisfying.

That said, I can’t wait for the shakycam fad to pass. It can add to the atmosphere of a movie (see also United 93), but I’d like it to be the exception rather than the norm. Most of the time, when I watch a movie, I want to see what’s actually going on.