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War of the Worlds (2005)
The aliens are here again, and this time it's Tom Cruise whose story we follow as he gets embroiled in the War of the Worlds. Mightily impressive visually but a little weak in the plausibility stakes, it's very Spielberg and definitely worth a watch.
War of the Worlds is exactly as you would expect, given that it's made by Steven Spielberg. He knows how to play the audience and he knows how to make breathtaking audio-visuals. Just don't expect an H.G. Wells depth of plot. I enjoyed this film: I think the average moviegoer will enjoy it: Testosterone Satisfaction Rating: Plenty of adrenaline, tension and stuff being spectacularly destroyed. To enjoy this film you should be: impressed by effects.
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Your commentsThe comments printed here are not necessarily the views of Forwardcharm!
I put off writing a review of this until I'd had a chance to scan the original again just for a slight comparison. The original 1953 version is still my favourite as it's focus is on mankind's attempt to discover a weakness and the battle scenes (for it's time) are better. The Cruise version is very much one man against the Martians and although Cruise plays his role well this is another Spielberg CGI fest. The effects are excellent and hold you in your place for the duration and although it's only based on the novel the ending is exactly what it should be, praise should go to Freeman on the narration, he's no Burton but he does manage to lift the start and finish in the same way.
Spielberg creates a realistic atmosphere of tiny helpless humans against the powerful invaders. Okay, Cruise is a little on the short side, but he looks miniscule as he clambers amongst the wreckage of a plane. Spielberg has stuck a little too close to H.G.Well's story, as some characters change in personality but there isn't time to explain this in the film. Also, the ending is wrapped up a bit too neatly. But these are minor quibbles, it had me gripped the whole time. Do read the shortstory, it doesn't take long and it's just as scary!
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Cruise plays a divorced father of two (Justin Chatwin and Dakota Fanning from Hide and Seek and
Tom Cruise professionally delivers a good man-under-pressure and deserves a special mention as the only actor who looked
like he was running at full speed when trying to get away from the first of the tripods. The surrounding actors, whilst
facially appearing terrified, seemed to be out for a jog - and one of them even had a working camcorder while all other
electrical equipment had been killed by an EMP (oops).
Dakota Fanning is, as usual, infeasibly talented - in
fact she's so realistic that she's every bit as irritating as a real ten year old. Her screams may be perfectly judged,
but they start to grate very early on. Tim Robbins pops up in the second half as some kind of underground Stig of the
Dump. For some reason, despite everyone else
disagreeing, I've never quite bought him as a heavyweight actor and here he does nothing to change my mind, coming
across as Marlon Brando on a caffeine drip.
