War of the Worlds

I just got back from seeing what was supposed to be the summers most anticipated blockbuster. Steven Spielbergs War of the Worlds. I have to say that I have been long awaiting this so I went into the theatre almost certain i was in for a good show. The Movie Started off fairly fast paced but as it continued the only thing carrying it was the special effects. The biggest problem i had with this movie was the lack of backstory and resolution. They never gave a CLEAR reason for the aliens to be there. Wether it was to eat us. To invade. Or to do God knows anything else. Also I was very dissapointed in Tom Cruise's performance though Dakota Fanning backed him up and ultimatley saved the film. I did however like Spielbergs portrail of family and sticking together through tough situations, and the view of chaos if an event like this would ever happen. Too Much of the Movie was spent in Tim Robbins Basement and I was EXTREMLEY dissapointed with John Williams Score. There was nothing to hum after you left the theatre like Jurassic Park or Star Wars, there was just nothing. The Movie was also miserably Depressing. The first half hour had alot of comedy in it and then it dwindled away to nothing. But Like I said the Lack of backstory got to me way too much, but then again im a fan of LOTR so maybe im too used to complex and intricate storylines. But all in all I give this movie a C. and a 7 out of 10. and a 3 out of 5.

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" I see in your eyes, the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, whe we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. May and hour of wolves and shattered shields before the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we Fight! For all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand men of the west!!"
-Aragorn: The Lord of the Rings the Return of the King

Maybe you were just weened on the teet of formulaic invasion films and have come to expect things as standards that shouldn't be. Your largest complaint is that there was no backstory? If you'd like to point me in the direction of the magic alien-to-english translator that we have hidden away, I'd love to see it, otherwise you should really accept the realism that was so consistent in War of the Worlds. If aliens ever came to our planet, unearthed war machines they had buried millions of years ago and started killing everyone on the planet, do you seriously believe we'd have any shred of a clue as to why they were doing it? That's the entire point of the film. Any rhyme or reason as to why they are doing it is lost on us, because there is no magical translating machine, there is no alien that'll wrap a tentacle around a person and use him as a conduit for his internal thoughts.

I think all of the people who hated the film for the reasons you did just aren't grading from the right criteria. As completely mindless as the movie may seem in terms of destruction, the script and storytelling were designed with extremelly logical inspiration.

And as for resolution; you've missed the point entirely.

And I don't know about you, but in all my fantasies of alien invasions, they're usually not very cheerful. I'm sorry the aliens didn't pile out of clown cars and throw pies at you.

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yep. I didnt like it too much. there it is

Thanks for your thoughts, Uncle Rico. I have no idea if I'll agree with you, once I see the film, but you did give clear reasons why it didn't work for you.

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Review: Cabin in the Woods 8/10

I'm with Peter on this one. They were purposefully avoiding the cliches (shots of news reports detailing the carnage, world landmarks being blown up, etc). They got away from what my dad refers to as the "God's eye point of view" of so many disaster films. Instead, it took the less common route; first-person. We wouldn't know why they were killing us, we'd just know that they were, and so we'd run. And since Spielberg has us following the characters, and not the entire planet, we only know as much as they do. It makes perfect sense, and mops the floor with the predictable displays we've seen in other disaster films.

This is not to say the film was without flaws (the screenplay was mostly unimpressive), but the general angle of following the Ferrier family, rather than the events themselves, was definitely the right way to go.

Signs meets Independence Day, but thankfully much more like the former than the latter.

I like the Family aspect and how he does that. I actually thought Tim Robins was gonna be someone cool who knew something others didnt. Thats Why I think i was let down. Its Understandable why The Ferrier Family knows nothin because there is no reason for them to. I just wish we found out a little bit more, so the film would have a sence of history.

You mean Tim Robbins character I assume, as Tim Robbins is clearly a megalomaniacal idiot. He is one of the actors I most despise off-screen. I like a lot of his work though. I AM interested to see how he portrays a middle American survivalist, though. I bet he injects all sorts of his uber-left fascist opinion about middle Americans. it should be interesting to see how he views that segment of our society.

Dear Tim: May your beard get caught in the gears of a trans-continental bus.

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Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbour?

This is a new expirience for me. Ive never been alone on disliking a film. IM SUCH A REBEL!

Each to their own Rico. I feel constantly let down every summer, when films don't live up to the hype. IMO this has been the best summer in ages, most of the big movies have been excellent, and my faith in corporate Hollywood has been restored a little.
I constantly disagree with my buddies, I find it harder just to switch off and watch films after being to film-school, they think I'm a loser 'cause i talk about script, editing , cinematograhy, etc.
Having a brain freeze at the mo, but I remember thinking The Village was crap, while the majority of my mates liked it.
Stick to your guns, everybody's got an opinion.

I'm seeing this tomorrow, I've been looking forward to it for quite some time. I hope the film isn't such a let down as this review says

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Trust me it's no letdown

we are going to see this tomorrow morning...i have heard mixed reviews and some people that i know don't want to see t his again...(they liked the first one)

I saw the movie last night, and I was blown away by it! I have one word: amazing! The film critic Gene Shallit describes this movie with the acronym of its title: WOW! I have to agree!

Cruise gives a solid performance as a man coming to terms with familial responsibilities (in marked contrast to his real-life antics, incidentally). His two noisy, bratty Hollywood kids put in good performances too, once you get used to their screaming, tantrums and teenage rebelliousness (!) (Seriously--I really pitied Cruise's character for having to deal with those kids! No one deserves that kind of punishment! Forget about aliens!) But seriously... moving on... Tim Robbins was kind of funny, in a macabre sort of way, playing the doomsday maniac stuck in his basement. But clearly, the aliens stole the show and were the stars--I mean, let's face it, folks--they were as sinister as they come! I won't go into a detailed description of their sinister activities (though if you have read the book, you'll know what I'm talking about), but these guys make all the movie aliens of the past--even the aliens of Aliens--look kind of tame in comparison. These guys were the ultimate in sinister, sadistic, nauseating villainy. So hats off to the aliens in WOW!

Finally, what I really think was cool about this movie is how Spielberg made it so intensely realistic. In fact, with digital surround-sound and the ingenious use of interesting camera angles, the realism in this movie was so intense that you seriously feel like it's really happening before your eyes and that you are in the thick of the action. The movie literally leaps out of the screen (even though it's not a 3-D movie), so that when, for example, the aliens fire at the screaming crowd, you feel as if you, the audience are in that crowd and that the aliens are firing at you. In fact, I'd really like to see the IMAX 3-D version of this movie--that would be truly incredible. Maybe that's what makes Spielberg such a powerful filmmaker--his ability to make fantastic visuals seem real and believable, so that they leap out of the screen at you and make you believe that you are a first-hand witness to the events.

So see the movie--it's well worth it! I hope the next Indiana Jones movie is as good!

i saw the movie this morning...there are a few things going for it...john williams' score is one, speilberg's depiction of the martians (closer to the ones that hg wells described in the book), and the special effects...

Actually, Spielberg's portrayal of the Martians was quite different from the ones in H. G. Wells' book. True, Spielberg stuck with many of the plot elements in the book--but Wells describes the aliens as kind of like giant octopi, with huge heads and snake-like tentacles surrounding their mouths, whereas in the movie, when the aliens make their appearance, they look pretty different--actually, they seem to resemble Wells' description of the Morlocks, the underground creatures from The Time Machine--the way Spielberg portrayed them.

Incidentally, another cool thing about this movie is that you get to see the trailer for "The Chronicles of Narnia" before the movie. That should be another excellent movie--I've always been a fan of the C.S. Lewis books ever since I was a kid and have always wanted to watch them made into movies. Susan--I thought that might interest you, since you share the name of one of the main characters in the series!

yes you're right...sorry i didn't clarify...it was the machines that were closer to the way wells described them not the martians themselves...

as for the trailers, we saw the new one for king kong...very interesting....

I think the plane wreck scene is just...stupendous. They actually used a Boeing 747 for that scene.

For anyone who doesn't know, the area of land where the plane crash took place is directly across the Bates Motel at the Universal Pictures backlot. Cool eh?

i agree with everyone who liked the movie so i won't repeat what has been said, but i do have a pet peave, i thought it was sortof unnecessary for tom cruise to be dodging the death reys whilst literaly everyone that was near him was waporised....he's one lucky sonofabitch....oh and when he ...other then that..STUPENDOUS MOVIE!!!GREAT FUN!!( a bit more scary then i thought it would be...almost on the verge of a horror film, especialy the scene in the basement )
and i'm very grateful tom cruise didn't figure out a way to defeat the aliens ( at one point i thought he just might ) or that the americans in general didn't...coodles for avoiding the cliche...( also for avoiding the classic scenes of the eiffel tower being destroyed, as well as Big Ben, the red square and other cliche landmarks )

Edited by Lordslaytan: Be careful with your spoilers, man.
EDIT:oh c'mon man, i had a point there...and it couldn't possibly ruine your viewing experience...could it?