The familiar concept only supports the thin plot for so long. Produced on a budget of
$132 million, this Steven Spielberg sci-fi disaster film was the fourth highest grossing
film of 2005 - with its $592 million dollar take. Loosely based on the famous novel by
H. G. Wells of the same name, the 116-minute plot follows Tom Cruise and his family, who
fight for survival during a deadly alien invasion.
Cruise is charismatic and watchable no matter what he does - and this role is no exception,
bringing determination and hope to a completely unwinnable situation. Alongside him as his
teenage children are Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin - who play off their A-list father
with ease.
The initial attack on a New York suburb mixes curiosity with tension as large tripod machines
emerge from under the ground. Strikingly realistic visual effects and convincing performances
from the large group of extras help sell this memorable moment. The onlookers' breathless
reactions to the unthinkable draw obvious parallels to 9/11. Similarities that are driven
home even further when Cruise is horrified to discover he's covered in the ash of vaporized
humans.
The PG-13 rated narrative feels extremely claustrophobic, as the few glimpses we see
of the global destruction are via in-world TV monitors broadcasting news coverage. Because
of this more localized destruction, we never see famous American landmarks getting vaporized
by the invading aliens.
Taking their place instead are more intimate and unsettling scenarios, like when our protagonists
emerge from a cellar to discover an entire neighborhood flattened by a crashed 747 airliner.
A horrifying landscape so memorable, Universal Studios replicated it as part of their 'Studio
Back-Lot Tour'. Later, the Cruise-family minivan attracts the unwanted attention of an unruly
mob, desperate for transportation. It's an incredibly tense and realistic scene, that
becomes downright uncomfortable as humanity stoops to its worst. But why were they on
the move in the first place? I've never understood why characters in these types of stories are
constantly trying to outrun danger... when the obvious choice is to return to a place
that's already destroyed.
Towards the middle of the film, a heated conversation inside a speeding van is photographed in a
stitched-together, faux one-take shot. An incredible visual-effects accomplishment that
likely inspired a very similar scene in "The Children Of Men", released the following year.
The rest of the cinematography is mostly filmed from eye-level, reinforcing the sensation
that we're experiencing these dangers from the perspective of the helpless humans.
Unfortunately, the unrelenting pace comes to a grinding halt when the film takes a lengthy
detour to play hide-and-seek with probing alien tentacles in Tim Robbins' dark basement.
Robbins' small role includes a great description of the film's title when he calmly warns,
"This is not a war any more than there's a war between men and maggots... This is an
extermination." There's still some effective suspense in this scene, but when the big budget
escapist adventure pivoted to a quiet horror thriller, my interest dropped to zero. As
a filmmaker - especially one of Spielberg's caliber - you have to ask yourself how each
component services the story. Since this twenty-minute portion contributes little, and hampers even
more - "War Of The Worlds" would have been much better if it were removed.
Worse still, the movie never recovers. For those familiar with the source material, its
surprise-ending is a great way to conclude a believable sci-fi story. But for a modern
cinematic adaptation, wrapping up your entire plot with two lines of Morgan Freeman narration
is an unsatisfying end to a blockbuster.
Spielberg's longtime collaborator John Williams thankfully lends his remarkable talents to
the soundtrack, which mixes mechanical sounds, pulsing strings, and heavy drums. A fine adaptation
of the classic work, most audiences will enjoy this adventure on at least one viewing. Despite
its uneven momentum and detrimental adherence to the climax-free story, "War Of The Worlds"
has thrilling action with frightening beautiful imagery. I think it's a COOL film.
That does it for this quick excerpt - but if you'd like to watch full episodes of "Movie
Night", and submit your own reviews to be included on the show, please visit the Jogwheel
YouTube channel. My name is Jonathan Paula, thanks for watching and have a good Movie
Night!