Nerdy Science Blog

Comedy.

Bad plot.

Bad acting.

io9 published a good review.

I watched Cloverfield last night, and I’m pretty interested in the biological characteristics of the Cloverfield monster. These are my observation for what kind of creature Cloverfield is:

1. Cloverfield can swim in water. If you notice from the poster, you can see a wave-like shadow on the water, so this monster has the same charasteristic like Japanese Godzilla.
2. Cloverfield has long tail. In the movie, Cloverfield had attacked the bridge and buildings many times with its long tail.
3. Cloverfield can’t stand straight. I noticed that Cloverfield always hunch its back (this is very different from Godzilla).
4. Cloverfield has long arms and claws. You can see that from the damage of the buildings, statues and the classic part is how it attacked the chopper.
5. Cloverfield is huge. Go watch the movie and you will know how big it is.
6. Cloverfield has man face. When Cloverfield attacked Hud at the end of the whole movie, you can see that Cloverfield has a pretty ugly man face.
7. Cloverfield is amphibian. From observation 1, and also the scene in 6, we can see that there is a pair of gills. I guess it used the gills to breath in water, and then nose to breath on land.
8. Parasites attached in Cloverfield. The crab-like and dog-sized creatures coming out from Cloverfield did not look like Cloverfield at all. These creatures can be Cloverfield in early development stage, or parasites. From the fact that it came out from the body of Cloverfield, they were more likely to be parasites.
9. Cloverfield has thick skin. Shells from M-1 Abrams, AT4 rockets, missiles from F/A-18’s, MLRS and Mk 82 bombs from a B-2 Bomber doesn’t hurt it at all (wikipedia).
10. Cloverfield has two legs. It walked with two legs and stepped on the tank with two legs as well. However based on 3, I guess it needed the long arms to support itself to stand really straight.

So based on my observation, this is the sketching of Cloverfield in my mind.

At the beginning of the movie, there was a news report about some drilling station, and there was earthquake. So I don’t think the creature is alien from outer space. This creature may live beneath the earth surface, or deep under the ocean (Just like the one in TV series, Surface). It came onto the land may be because the activity of oil drilling or earthquake that created space for Cloverfield to come up to the land surface. Due to the earthquake (or oil drilling) and environment which it never encounter before, the creature might be confused and developed the anxiety to destroy everything on land. The thick skin may also allow the creature to sustain the pressure difference between deep sea and on land surface. Here’s another sketch by dopepope.

There might not only be one monster in the film. I don’t think the monster can be everywhere in the city while the militaries were attacking it. How coincident it was for the fellas in the film keep on encounter Cloverfield. This might be another creature which I think that can’t stand straight. However, I don’t think there was a opening at the end of the tail.

This film reminds me a bit of Godzilla, Surface, and Transformers. While watching the film, I keep on thinking this must be the doings of Japanese attacking America. Don’t forget to visit Gerry Canavan for his collection of the ruin of Statue of Liberty in various movies.

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Producing a science fiction movie is not easy, as it require a lot of background knowledge to produce a good one. But Jurassic Park has become one of the greatest sci-fi movies, and CSI is one of my favorite sci-fi series.

Now, we have our ‘Cicak Man’ (Gekko Man) which was categorized into science fiction movie. As for local movie, I don’t expect it as great as Jurassic Park or CSI or other superhero’s movies produced in Hollywood. But is sorry to say that, this movie is… terrible, misleading, and totally not making sense, scientifically.

JerryWho has given his review, so as sam. And now I am giving mine, here in Nerdy Science Blog.

1. to examine viruses and vaccine, scientists DO NOT use a light microscope. Instead, scientists use electron microscope (EM) which give higher magnification for observing viruses.
   Just FYI, scientists nowadays has better technique such as molecular technique to detect viruses. However, in the case where unknown infectious agent is involved, as in the case of SARS, EM is still the only choice.
   As for vaccine, it is much more complicated. I would prefer not to elaborate here as it is going to be an essay long. But for sure, scientists do not search for a vaccine using a microscope.
2. I have no idea what was Hairi looking into the light microscope? Hairi is a scientist in the movie, his research is about searching for vaccine against disease caused by ‘Virus 266’.
   However, what was shown under microscope is definitely neither viruses nor vaccine! By looking at the giant-size-cartoon-like microorganisms and the speed of the organisms which divided in seconds, I would like to say that it is a total new species. With the size of the ‘micro’organisms under the microscope, we can probably view it even with our naked eyes.
   And just FYI, I observed how yeasts (Saccharomyces pombe) divided under a light microscope.
3. eating and drinking is strictly prohibited in laboratory. This rule applies to any lab.
4. a scientist with brain, will never let a cage containing laboratory test subjects i.e., geckos open widely without monitoring.
5. still, I got no idea how can a gecko dissolve in a coffee. Any explanation?
6. no matter how, Hairi successfully had his gecko goes into his stomach, which transform the man into gecko.
   I have no idea what transform a man into a gecko, the gecko itself? Theoretically, whatever that enter you stomach, will breakdown into smaller pieces and slowly get digested. And practically, you don’t transform into something you eat.
   Because of the Virus 266? I do not know how is the infection mechanism of Virus 266, but given the virus H5N1 as example: if you eat a raw chicken infected with H5N1, you are more likely to get infected by H5N1, rather than transform into an Ayam (Chicken) Man. Moreover, what is the Virus 266 to do with gecko?
7. none of any species of lizard excrete sticky excretion to walk on vertical surface or upside down. In this case, I referring to ‘cicak’ or gekko, they use their adhesive toe pads.
   since a iguana was involve in the movie, so FYI, iguana don’t have adhesive toe pad which allow them to walk like how ‘cicak’ walk. If you ever notice, they only have claws.
   btw, geckos are carnivores, iguanas are herbivores.
8. performing scientific research in a apartment? Looking for antidote for gekko man? Frankly, I love that idea, that’s mean we will have freelance scientists working from home, where you can easily make order for viruses that can turn human shit into purple color.
9. cloning an animal, including human is not a process of photocopying. Researchers had explained the concept over and over again, all the cicak man script writer need to do is refer to the famous clone, Dolly as an example.
10. though this is not really related to science: the barcodes on those clones look so cheapskate as it can just rub away with a finger.
11. anyone with some medical knowledge will tell you: air bubbles in a syringe can kill. Ok, maybe it doesn’t apply for a half gecko half man’s creature.

Do I miss out anything? Feeling like scan through the movie again. Any DVD?

*Gecko: a type of small lizard (longman dictionary).
**Gekko: one of the genus name of gecko.

Addition:

Well… I didn’t notice that Metrofulus was actually a cold country (huh? Does it look like one? I don’t see anyone in the movie breathe out air?). Paris Beaverbanks point out the some facts about the behavior of lizards in cold country. Have a look into her Cicak Man review, “Cicakman - glitch in facts?” @ Paris Beaverbanks.