War of the Worlds

Well, no. Upon closer inspection, it definitely wasn't what I expected, and there are plenty of things that traditionally bother me about Spielberg - the melodrama, which is sometimes unnecessary, the unbelievable pathos, and scenes that are dragged out without having any effect on me. Actually, I didn't even feel the tension anymore. Well, it almost seems like I want to start a club called "I Hate Spielberg," but this film still belongs to those that I can tolerate from him. (12/10/2015)

My final impression is not bad at all. Spielberg is too good of a director to make a forgettable film. He incorporated something into his film that was missing in his previous works - tension and darkness. The tranquility and childlike playfulness of E.T. were forgotten, and Spielberg made his War of the Worlds as a monumental disaster film, which is additionally likable because it is shot from the perspective of an ordinary outsider who is not trying to save the world, but simply trying to survive quite normally. Sometimes even at the expense of others. Several scenes are shot breathtakingly. Spielberg is very good at depicting the destruction of the city, the sinking of the ship, and apocalyptic scenes of fleeing crowds, and he uses all those aspects here. The basement scene with the mirror is even in my top ten and with its sophistication, it ranks among the highlights of the genre. Cruise is good, but he is outdone by the excellent Dakota Fanning as a current top child star. Tim Robbins also played his mentally disturbed man with ease, and the other actors are not important for anything else but future corpses. What deprived the film of a fifth star and a place among the best films is the unfortunate happy ending, which may be taken from the book, but does not suit the overall tone of the film. At the same time, the length of the film is also a problem, which in this case could have been 20 minutes longer because, after a very good start, the ending feels somewhat deprived. Visually, it is a remarkable film, characterized by the gloomy red of the alien organisms and the unsettling sounds of alien machines creating a suitably chilling atmosphere for most of the film. Overall impression: 80%. (12/04/2007)

Though intimately conceived, War of the Worlds is an emotionally cold and, in terms of plot, concise summer blockbuster. Fortunately, however, it has such a large helping of horror excitement that it’s a joy to watch. The movie is a technically brilliant gem that made my heart pound and caused me to check the sky in paranoia as I was leaving the cinema. That’s what it was all about for the film’s creators – simply take us through a series of scenes, half of which are begging for deeper development in the screenwriting, but their visual and sound aspects (Spielberg’s directing + Kaminski’s documentary-style cinematography = gold), paralyze us with fear and nail us to our seats. If there had been more likable characters and an opportunity to really get to know them, this could have been the movie of the year. As it stands, the “only” thing that remains is tremendous amazement from the individual parts. Some of the film’s scenes will be quoted and imitated. (07/02/2005)

No other film has been able to portray the sheer terror of confronting an unknown alien enemy like War of the Worlds. A nightmare with superb editing and glorious sound design, whose overwhelming aura of hopelessness and the defencelessness of the characters in a terrible situation is unpredictable and makes it a strong candidate for the best blockbuster of its decade. The pace is thrilling and some of the scenes are chilling not only because of their virtuoso audiovisuals, but also because of their strong humane subtext (the scene of the car being attacked by a mad mob is the film's most moving moment), which makes even more disappointing the slightly unfinished ending, when the level of horror and depression, culminating in the sequence with Tim Robbins, begins to stagnate and is replaced by the mandatory, but nonetheless annoying, family pathos. I don't agree with the general hate of the hysterical Dakota, which on the contrary is very important to Spielberg's cunning intent to exhaust and terrify audiences of all ages, but on the other hand, it's true that there’s no other film that will make guys be so eager to never have children and appreciate the subtle allure of condoms. If this was Steven's intention, then I'd throw in a fifth star. 85% (11/08/2017)

A film that has a higher ambitions than just to scare. Its added value are the scenes that make you think. It's as if Spielberg has no illusions about people and their ability to help their fellow humans when they are in the role of "prey" fighting for bare survival. This is evident in a great scene when the crowd, under the influence of mob psychosis, wants to lynch Ferrier's family; does a person have the right to kill a fellow human being if it helps their family? What would we do in such a situation? This really isn't about war, it’s rather an intimate drama where everything is seen through the eyes of Cruise’s character. That's why we don't see the carnage in other cities, why we don't see the battle on the hill because Ferriero is standing under it, and why the "quick" ending seems logical to me. For if we were to view the gradual destruction of the aliens globally, it would contradict the original concept of the film as an intimate drama – the fate of one family. On top of that, there are no American flags, no heroic president in a fighter jet, just a joy to behold. My only quibble perhaps are a few holes in logic, and then if Spielberg had pushed a little harder on the tragic fate of the Ferrier family, as opposed to the happy ending, that would have been hardcore. Five-star hardcore. (07/03/2005)