War of the Worlds Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)July 22nd, 2005
WAR OF THE WORLDS
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2005 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
In Steven Spielberg's WAR OF THE WORLDS, an adrenaline pumping disaster movie told within the context of a small scale family drama, Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is a deadbeat dad. An auto mechanic with an empty fridge and an engine resting not so gracefully on his dining room table, Ray isn't equipped to handle the kids when his ex needs him to.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS's Miranda Otto has the token part of Mary Ann, Ray's ex. In anything but a token role, Dakota Fanning, as Ray's 10-year-old daughter Rachel, steals every scene she gets close to, making Cruise's fine work look decidedly secondary. There is also an older brother, played by Justin Chatwin, whose whole part is just extra baggage and should have been given the heave-ho in the script's first rewrite.
A special-effects heavy picture, WAR OF THE WORLDS uses the terrifying and spectacular images in service of the story rather than the other way round. The aliens, who come to wage "war" on the world, or "extermination" as Tim Robbins's character calls it, are never cute and cuddly like E.T. These aliens are human-sized beasts with a lust for blood, who like to tool around the world in big contraptions nicknamed "tripods," unleashing death and destruction wherever they go.
This is one intense PG-13 film that could leave those under and over 13 with plenty of nightmarish images to try hard to forget late at night. One firm piece of advice, do not go to this film when a storm is brewing and lightning is about to strike. (Terrible storms are the first manifestations of the aliens' presence in the story.) If you leave the theater and lightning starts to strike, you'd better hope your pacemaker is in good working order. This entertaining thrill ride of a movie suffers only one substantial flaw, the ending tries too hard to tie up all the loose ends.
WAR OF THE WORLDS runs 1:56. It is rated PG-13 for "frightening sequences of sci-fi violence and disturbing images" and would be acceptable for teenagers.
My son Jeffrey, age 16, gave it *** 1/2. He thought it did a good job of playing on our fear of chaos. He singled out Fanning for special praise.
The film is playing in nationwide release now in the United States. In the Silicon Valley, it is showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
Email: [email protected]
***********************************************************************
Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email?
Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.
More on 'War of the Worlds'...
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
