Flawed yet immensely enjoyable, Cloverfield is an American monster tale unlike any other. With its obvious Godzilla and 9/11 influence, Cloverfield is unforgettable. The story may be clichéd and the frustrating lack of answers always sticks in the back of your mind, but this is the best American-made giant monster movie in decades.
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Shot entirely with HD cameras, the movie looks gorgeous on DVD. Great black levels keep the night looking sharp, and the transfer itself is flawless. A minor shot or two does comes off overly grainy, though almost certainly intentional (the first explosion seen from the roof). The shift in color tones is handled well, and barely any compression artifacts are evident, a miracle given the heavy, shifting movement. DVDs rarely look better than this. 
While it remains a mystery how a small handicam could record in 5.1, this DVD is a blistering piece of audio work. Obviously, any scene with the monster is worthy of a demonstration. The first army assault is spectacular, with tanks causing the subwoofer to work overtime, standard gun fire ripping through each speaker, and the groans from the creature mixed in behind the noise. Immersive audio in the subway is incredible in its ambience.
The commentary from director Matt Reeves is going to disappoint a lot of people. This is purely a technical commentary, discussing the shoot and repetitively mentioning the limited budget. There is no explanation for the beast, he points out no small touches, and fails to clarify anything other than how the movie was shot.
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