War of the Worlds
2005 Directed by Steven Spielberg
Synopsis
They're already here.
The extraordinary battle for the future of humankind through the eyes of one American family fighting to survive it. Ray Ferrier is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife and her new husband drop of his teenage son Robbie and young daughter Rachel for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down.
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68/100
[Originally published on Nerve.com]
A decade or so from now, when academics start publishing scholarly tomes with titles like "The Anxiety of Insurgence: Hollywood Responds to 9/11," Steven Spielberg's unsparing adaptation of War of the Worlds is guaranteed a meaty chapter all its own. No doubt aware that images of people running in terror from collapsing buildings now carry unavoidable topical baggage, Spielberg, with the help of screenwriters Josh Friedman and David Koepp, has refashioned H.G. Wells' classic tale of interplanetary invasion into a unnervingly cathartic simulacrum of that Tuesday morning's apocalyptic confusion and horror. The references fly fast and furious and sans subtlety: onlookers covered in ash, walls papered with handmade MISSING flyers, mountains of rubble dotted with…
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One of my favorite Spielberg films.
I never really understood what many complained about concerning this film. It's structured beautifully-it's suspenseful-the effects are terrific-it's not your typical Sci-Fi film-they didn't spend the entire film showing us fighting these aliens-it focuses on a dysfunctional family and their fight for survival and through their journey rediscover their unconditional love for each other.
I adore Spielberg's camera work in this film-there are hundreds of amazing shots-numerous sequences that through the brilliant use of digital effects come off as one shots that dazzle the eye.
The score is fantastic-from the opening notes to the finale-great score.
Tom Cruise does a wonderful job-a man who finds the hero within himself-not the most responsible Father but…
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Beautifully mounted and often disturbingly surreal, War of the Worlds captures the pure pandemonium and the flurry of emotions (from sorrow to rage to pure, unadulterated fear). Marred by some touches that almost seem parodic of Spielberg, including a happy ending that undoes the commitment to heartbreak and woe that otherwise made this one of the most mature of epic disaster films. Still sorely underrated.
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One of the best cinematic grapplings with 9/11, and because of its localized, personal storytelling, also among the best disaster movies. The driving force is a family drama, as Tom Cruise's weekend of custody with his children occurs at the exact wrong time, namely, the invasion of earth by destructive alien beings. While all disaster epics carry some form of human story, this one distinguishes itself by focusing so strongly on their perspective. Where most blockbusters would fixate on battles and explosions, Spielberg keeps the threat mostly external, a faceless, motiveless monster which Cruise and his family are constantly trying to escape. One scene that illustrates the film's unique approach involves an attempted military attack on the alien machines. Cruise…
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Although the lengthy middle portion stuck in Tim Robbins' basement effectively kills any momentum the film had going into its Third Act, I have to agree with many cinema buffs that this is one of Steven Spielberg's most underrated efforts of the 00's. The scenes of disaster and panic are still incredibly harrowing and miles ahead of its 'found footage' protege, "Cloverfield."
Spielberg cathartically explores America's post-9/11 fears through the veil of science-fiction. The low-angle shots and incidental staging of special FX moments echo the 'on the ground' panic of news reporting on that fateful day.
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While the father/son relationship stuff is handled rather poorly, the strength of the images throughout the film make Spielberg's telling of War of the Worlds memorable and infinitely rewatchable.
This may possibly be Janusz Kaminski's greatest looking film that he has worked on. The use of reflecting light in multiple scenes, but especially at the end of the basement sequence, is both eerie and beautiful at the same time. I also like that Kaminski doesn't go overboard with the washed out white light like he usually does. This may be due to the fact that most of the film takes place at night.
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One of the best cinematic grapplings with 9/11, and because of its localized, personal storytelling, also among the best disaster movies. The driving force is a family drama, as Tom Cruise's weekend of custody with his children occurs at the exact wrong time, namely, the invasion of earth by destructive alien beings. While all disaster epics carry some form of human story, this one distinguishes itself by focusing so strongly on their perspective. Where most blockbusters would fixate on battles and explosions, Spielberg keeps the threat mostly external, a faceless, motiveless monster which Cruise and his family are constantly trying to escape. One scene that illustrates the film's unique approach involves an attempted military attack on the alien machines. Cruise…
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Has not been exactly a lifetime, but this film still holds up well.
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I'm not sure what the general consensus is on Spielberg's War of the Worlds, but the cynic in me assumes that it is probably negative. Regardless of whether my assumption is correct or not - I fucking love this film. It is, by far, my favourite Tom Cruise role, and as far as I remember, it's my favourite Spielberg directed movie too. I hypothesize that my love for War of the Worlds is rooted in its centrality to my teenage movie memories, it was probably the only sci-fi film I was able to talk about with my older sister without her calling the nerd card on me. It probably also helps that I'm a huge sci-fi fan in general, and…
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Enjoyed best when you take a shot everytime Dakota Fanning shrieks like a pony who just overdosed on ketamine.
At times it's bloody thrilling with some superbly staged setpieces but Spielberg's update of HG Wells beloved sci-fi tome is far too flawed to be remembered as a classic.
With this version of War of the Worlds, spectacle is its saving grace; the tipping over of the ferry is equally stunning and terrifying. Unfortunately, the script fails to offer any surprises with underdeveloped characters, a plot that doesn't make a lot of sense and an ending so lazy that may satisfy fans of the original but is nothing more than a sappy cop-out to adhere to its PG-13 rating and Spielberg's…
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não sei muito o que pensar e dizer sobre esse tipo de filme, e isso não costuma ser algo bom, pois quando isso acontece em geral é por que é o tipo de filme que fica em cima do muro, não é tão bom quanto poderiamos supor pelas credenciais dos envolvidos, spielberg, tom cruise, mas também é bem acima da média dos filmes ruins que a gente topa por aí... o espetáculo visual é fascinante, aquele terror que o steven spielberg consegue transmitir tão bem ao nos colocar na pele das pessoas nas situações apertadas pelas quais elas passam, etc, é realmente especial, mas acho que esperava mais, e esse sempre é o maior motivo pra eu não achar um filme tão bom quanto poderia ser, pois ele não chega perto ao que consegui imaginar, mas mesmo assim tá bom vai? então é isso, fiquemos num empate pessoal...
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Science Fiction and Steven Spielberg are a match made in heaven. War of the Worlds is Spiely at his best, with Tom Cruise doing his usual Tom Cruise impersonation; very well, I might add.
With the destruction of the Bayonne bridge in NJ being one of the best shots committed to film, it really does make the hairs on your balls tingle.
However, I do ever so wish Dakota Fanning's Rachel was killed off; screaming, whiny little brat.
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Steven Spielberg’s dark as pitch re-imagining of Well’s novel is my pick for strongest post-9/11 film so far. Do the aliens hate us for our freedoms too? By using the safe confines of a sci-fi genre classic (and the even safer confines of a summer blockbuster), Spielberg gives the most searing indictment of American depravity that I saw on-screen all decade.
A broken family, through on-the-spot resourcefulness (good ol’ American know-how), steals one of the tent pegs of the American dream-----a minivan. One of the only working civilian automobiles for miles, the family flees the destroyed city for the safety of the suburbs where they are nearly killed by an airliner crashing into their house. Seeking to move further out…
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War of the Worlds is a visual masterpiece that is, unfortunately, accompanied by a lackluster plot with annoying characters. Tom Cruise is as likable and easy to root for as ever, but Chatwin and Fanning are in the running for most annoying child characters of all time.
The plot itself starts strong, with an intriguing opening and jaw-dropping set pieces, but then stalls into an ending that comes out of nowhere and completely under-delivers.
This is a shame, because Spielberg is at the top of his visual game here. With stronger writing, War of the Worlds could have been a sci-fi classic littered with even more iconic images from Spielberg. The film is aided by a dark tone and camera…
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Extra-terrestrial attack reconfigured to post-9/11 US; Spielberg challenges, but also excites. Beautifully shot by Kamiński. #see