War of the Worlds (2005)

Peter McGinn

8.0

Apr 5, 2020

I enjoyed this entry into the HG Wells film library. The special effects are great (to this amateur anyway) and the acting and action more than adequate. Plus it stays near enough to the sci-fi genius of the author to satisfy the fans of the classic novel. I will say that I got a little tired of the son acting like such a teenager, but he and the Tom Cruise character both show some character growth by the end of the film. Tom is one of those actors who seems to be playing himself a lot, but I suspect there is a lot more work to it than that. I'm not sure Dustin Hoffman would have gotten his Ac…

JPV852

5.0

May 9, 2020

First time seeing this in 15 years and lame plot, annoying characters (both kids got on my nerves) and a protagonist who just runs around, as Tom Cruise does so well, but has zero impact on the end game which was... bacteria. Yeah, this was just as dumb today as it was back then. At least the visual effects and sound design still holds up. **2.5/5**

CinemaSerf

6.0

Feb 13, 2023

Sometimes it just pays to leave well alone, and this remake of the 1953 version adds nothing aside from more sophisticated special effects. A vehicle for Tom Cruse, it allows Stephen Spielberg to turn this menacing and thought-provoking sci-fi classic into a family melodrama with the star and his dysfunctional family travelling the breadth of the country trying to escape the terror that is falling from the skies. These metallic creations are ruthless, destroying everything in their path but somehow the emphasis of this is more on why "Ray" can't get on with "Robbie" (Justin Chatwin) and whethe…