War of the Worlds

[skull_bearer]

Otherwise known as 'The Big Tripods That Stomp On Everyone'tm

Well, being as I read the H.G. Wells book ages ago (and how great was that? That book rocks). I had some pretty high expectations for the film. As I knew it wasn't going to follow the time frame of the original (forgivable, when Wells was writing it was seen as a 'modern' novel) so following the letter of the books was out. However, I hoped that it was at least going to follow the spirit of the books and most particularly the ending. If Speilberg tacked on an Independance Day, or worse a Signs ending *sudder*, I would throw my shoes at the screen.

I was deeply relieved that it never came to that (I like my shoes). The film stayed fairly loyal, with only a few slip ups (typical Hollywood mush, I'm afraid). best of all, the ending was unchanged. Mankind was flattened, but microbes save the day. Huzzah.

That 'moment of heroism' when Jay (I think his name was Jay) throws the granade inside the Tripod sucked pretty much. The film was really long and that part could have been cut without much trouble.

Also, the 'moment of suspense' when the Tripod is playing 'I spy with my little (detached) eye'? Waaaaay too long. It was good for the first few minutes, had you cringing, but then it dragged, and dragged, and dragged until you wanted the Tripod to see and squash them so you could hobble off to the toilets. The suspence was quickly lost and the whole part with the aliens coming out of the craft could have been cut.

The aliens. Is it just me or is Hollywood following a trend here? They looked must like frailer versions of the Independance Day aliens, not at all like the malevolent, red eyed blobs I was hoping to see. But then, malevolent red eyed blobs wouldn't have been able to clamber around a semi-crushed basement.

And finally the end scene. I am totally not buying that this guy's son survived when everyone else died. I mean, this is meant to be an ordinary man's story and barring the fact that normal men tend not to look like Tom Cruise (and what a pity it is), it would have been far better to let the boy actually die to reinforce this. Many people must have lost their families, why shouldn't he?

Although I admit to being a trifle pleased when he survived, I like the guy.

And now to the thimgs I liked about the film.

Firstly, I liked the characters. I liked Tom Cruise's bumbling father who constantly seems to be teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown. I liked the intereaction between the girl and her older brother, the boy reminded me of Axel (my brother), and that's a compliment.

The Tripods. Ahhh, how can I say how much I loved watching them stomp around flattening everything? They were perfect, although I was a bit unsure about the main body they otherwise looked exactly as I had imagined them. The death rays likewise were excellent and true to Wells. They were brilliant, yet the constant personal suffering of the humans they were wiping out made you want to cheer when they finally dropped. Wonderful.

Which brings me onto my next point, the various people and bystanders. These were very realistic, the mad scramble for survival shown in the scene when the family has their car (the only working car in miles) stolen by a mob of desperate people cutting to the personal heroism of a couple trying to save the girl from the Tripods. Realistic and feel-good all at once.

The lack of romance. Not a hint. The guy was divorced and not once did we get a hint that he wanted to get back together with his ex-wife. There was only the mad faith of parenthood. Good.

The soildier with his pipe dreams, well done, although in the book the main character doesn't murder him with a shovel.

The acting, while Cruise might not have fitted the part of Last Samurai, he did fit the part of bumbling, distaught father.

And finally, what Spielberg film could be complete without mentioning this? Whenever you walk into such a film it is the one thing you know will be good. The special effects.

As I have said, the Tripods rocked, but the scene where they rose out of the earth and flattened everything (and knocked a church down, how cool was that?) was phenomenal. The scene on the ferry (I swear they got the idea from Titanic with that one) where they appear over the crest of the hill and the mad panic that ensews.

Without the special effects, the film wouldn't have worked. No matter how good the acting was.

And the ending, ah, how great was that. My worse fears were laid to rest. The machines keeled over one at a time like a row of decidedly spiky dominoes under the terrible onslaught of the common cold. Take heed, NASA.

While it had less comic moments than most movies (after all, the subject matter was really dark) there were some funny moments. Here's my favourite. I'm not sure of the exact wording but this is the gist of it.

-Where did it (Tripod) come from? Asia? Russia?

-No, further away, much further.

-What, like Europe?

-No! Not like Europe!

That had the whole cinema cracking up.

The first half was the best, but it started to trail off in the second. It didn't go too far mercifully.

Overall, go and see it. It's pretty awsome in the cinema but will be decidedly crappy on the small screen.

 

Skull Bearer.