War of the Worlds ----- cheesy, sloppy, but oddly entrancing

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Title:
War of the Worlds (B)
PH Release Date:
June 29, 2005
Actors:
Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman
Director:
Steven Spielberg
Based on the Novel by:
H.G Wells
Screenplay:
Josh Friedman & David Koepp
Editor / Music:
Michael Kahn / John Williams
Design / Photography:
Rick Carter / Janusz Kaminski
Producer:
Kathleen Kennedy et al.
Studio:
DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures


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"The last war on earth won’t be started by humans"

Cruise is back for another sci-fi extravaganza together with no less than his Minority Report director Steven Spielberg. I’m sure by the title alone you pretty much have an idea of what this movie’s gonna proffer. It’s a family flick full of flying cars, burning houses, but did you guess fried human beings? Yef, all that plus more in this bizarrely directed, oddly acted (by an eccentrically in love superstar) drama/comedy/disaster movie by two pre-anopausal film giants.

Ray (Cruise) is your typical Spielberg father figure, irresponsible, separated and estranged from his own kids. As her ex-wife (Otto) leaves him with an incredibly strenuous task of looking after their children as she heads for Boston, Ray takes the responsibility the best way he knows how, by sleeping it over. The next day, he woke up with his son nowhere in sight, searched for him and instead found something way beyond what his mind can imagine.


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I suppose it’s a must that you be warned that this review is from somebody who has never read or understood any works of H. G Wells. Science stuff was never my thang and books are just as sickening. Moving on, well, I’m a fan of Tom, Steven and Dakota but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna be nice. Was I ever?

If you know me personally you are aware how much I love Steven, for the simple reason that he’s the only director I knew when I was younger. Loved most of his works, except the most recent one (the terminal) but still he’s one of my faves and there’s no changing my mind about it. However, despite this, I thought this movie was his sloppiest work ever. He’s an incredible storyteller but man, what happened in this movie? Even if the direction was flawed, I still can’t believe it was that bad knowing he’s behind the camera.


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The story was terribly simple for him not to completely realize it. Yes, the premise was weak and awfully outmoded but Steven always finds a way. How come he seemed to have never found the one for this movie? Is it because the movie was made under an enormously short amount of time and rushed? This didn’t give the writers or Steven, much time to analyze what they wanna do and project on screen. I’m not saying that the direction is awful, no it’s not! Steven is not capable of doing anything as such. But, I never expected shoddy cameraworks from him. He’s usually very detailed when it comes to his scene but this time he wasn’t.

Spielberg’s direction has one extremely powerful asset--- great pacing. There was no dull moment in this movie, you’re intrigued from start to finish and I mean from start to finish. A lot of questions will be left unanswered, which brings me back to how sloppy Steven was in this movie, he won’t get away with this one.

The script has little potential, I think it’s a mediocre work but because of the powerplayers behind this movie it rose up quite a lot of notch. A person who’ll read it on a personal time will end up, like in the movie, bloody.


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The wonderful pacing was backed-up by those incredible CGI effects. At this point, we can probably compare it to Independence Day. I say Indi is better. I dunno if this is because of the cinematography or the production design but a lot of the stunts looked like they were all done in a studio or worst, in Paris Hilton’s Barbie house (which is her house). It’s this bizarreness that made this movie gripping and at the same time worth puking. The sound effects were not so fascinating or appalling though.

Tom Cruise didn’t feel like he’s acting. His character is crazy and I think at the moment he is as well. Honestly, I see not much difference. I was waiting for him to actually start saying “I love you Katie” over and over again during that scene from the human-sucking, blood-spraying alien mode of transport. Or worse, do another crazy you-know-nothing scientology crap against my depressed aunt (Brooke Shields). Sadly, none of these can be seen, however, he had enough scenes that reflect the same quality of his madness.


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The little girl who loved Sam is still a little girl but has come a long, long, way since she had to endure hours of shooting with an old man with no sense of humor (Sean “dour” Penn). Well, she didn’t exactly take herself away from crazy people since Tom is playing his Dad but at least we’ve seen tremendous growth and the brightest future ahead of her. Dakota's eyes can match even a Meryl Streep acting. I swear! I just hope she doesn’t end up as bitter as Haley Joel Osment when he didn’t get Harry’s role. But since she’s with Tom--- let scientology handle that.

Tim Robbins was crazy in this movie. Don’t worry he’s not with Susan so at least the ultimate team ain’t in progress. But funny though, I was waiting for him to get out of the house and start shouting while holding his streamer that says “Get out you bloodsuckers!”. To bad it didn’t happen. Miranda Otto looked pregnant. And the guy who played Tom’s son? Never mind him.


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There’s a big chance that after you see this movie, you’ll go out and wonder what the f*ck was it all about. The answer is simple. You’re a typical moviegoer who wants everything spoon-fed. You want the movie to say everything that goes on screen to you, word by word as it happens. Well, I’ve got news for you---- time to grow-up! But if it’s about science stuff that you’re wondering about, it’s okay, I have none to little background of it as well.

A riveting and uniquely absorbing movie that’s way too cheesy to be true. It’s funny even if doesn’t try to be so. Few movies get to do that. It’s safe to bring the kids with you on this movie then, observe how they react to stubborn characters on screen who looks like them. It’s definitely not the best Spielberg or Cruise movie, but the movie has an odd factor in it that needs to be seen by everyone. I don’t care what the movie tagline says, but I think the last war on earth will be started by humans from elsewhere… no, not from EUROPE!

Grading Sheet:
Story – 16%
Screenplay – 13%
Direction / Execution – 15%
Acting – 18%
Technical Aspect – 18%
Total: 80% = B