The Cloverfield Paradox Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs

Don't worry, no spoilers here.

The Cloverfield Paradox
Netflix

Well, that was unexpected.

Early on in this year's Super Bowl, Netflix dropped a totally out-of-nowhere trailer for their recently-acquired Cloverfield sequel, The Cloverfield Paradox. As if that wasn't cool enough, the movie was then released on the streaming platform the nanosecond the sporting extravaganza finished.

It's fair to say that the third entry into the Cloverfield franchise is going to polarise fans: there's a lot here to like for sure, but it comes with some heavy qualifiers, and your tolerance for those caveats is what will ultimately define your enjoyment.

Is it anywhere near as effective or consistent as its two predecessors? Absolutely not, but considering the film's prolonged post-production cycle and Paramount opting to sell it to Netflix rather than release it themselves, the end result is certainly a solid enough sci-fi romp.

Above all else, this feels like a major moment for the film industry moving forward, even if Cloverfield 3 is far from the home-run some optimistic fans may have been expecting. Speaking of which, let's kick things off with the negatives of The Cloverfield Paradox...

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Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.