War of the Worlds

Although I've watched the 1953 version several times, I went into this version with an open mind. I knew that Spielberg would stay true to H.G. Wells' vision and I wasn't disappointed. Although I have not read the book, my experience with other H.G. Wells' stories helps me to recognize the same elements in this movie.

Unlike the '53 version, however, we have to see Tom Cruise's world and how disfunctional it is before the aliens arrive. Did I mine this? Not really! Although the 1950's sci-fi movies always centered around the scientist(s) who discovered the technology to save the planet just in the nick of time, we see an ordinary dockworker wonder what is happening to his world and what he should do with his children who's relationship with him is strained, to say the least. We see a snapshot of how one family deals with the invasion of "their world".

Let's talk about the characters...

Although I have seen Tom Cruise in similar roles before, I thought he really pulled it off for this one. His persona allowed you to like him as the buddy around the corner at the local bar as well as his disfunctionality with his children. We could see as the invasion begins that Tom really doesn't know how to relate to his kids with the next by-product being his feeling that he needs to unload them with his ex-wife as soon as possible. I've got to think that had he had a better relationship that he might of made smarter choices in regards to staying out of the Martians' path. Of course, that would have made for a boring movie! It's worth seeing just to see how Tom struggles as the father.

Dakota Fanning was the real surprise. She plays a smart, precocious daughter who seems to know more than her father. She has great range. I could really see and experience her fear. I couldn't help but think how much therapy this little girl was going to need to go through to keep from waking up every night screaming. In fact, I can see the psychiatric profession becoming very lucrative after an experience like this. I hope the Dakota continues to entertain us. She adds a level of depth to a scene that I enjoy watching.

Justin Chatwin plays the rebellious teenage son who can't identify with his estranged father. What I liked about this character was how the teenage defiance turned into courage in wanting to fight back. Of course, this makes for great conflict when you the parent tries to protect the younger, weaker sibling while trying to control the impulses of a precocious teenager. I, also, liked how he became the "back-up" parent for his sister, which invariably happens while the parents go through their separation.

What I didn't like about the film...

Although I have always liked Tim Robbins, I thought the farmhouse scene dragged on a little too long. Maybe Spielberg wanted us to feel a little while of comfort from the carnage all around. Of course, it did give us a vantage point to witness what the Martians looked like and what their intentions were for their captive humans. I guess that it just seemed to throw off the movies flow.

Second, the ending didn't work for me. After producing a tale that caused me to look into the skies wondering if it could happen in real life, we are reduced to the cliche conclusion where they reach this neighborhood that barely shows that it has been touched by the carnage that has devastated every other city in the world. I'm not sure how I would have ended it, but the reunion could have been set more realistically in relation to the rest of the movie.

Despite these issues, it was definitely worth the price and my time of which I don't take either lightly. Steven Spielberg has delivered again! I like the gritty, raw quality in the cinematography. It reminded me of the baseness of "Saving Private Ryan" which also had that dark quality.