Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds
Reviewed by Monkey Boy

MARS COLLECTIVE RATING:

               Aliens from another planet come back to earth with one goal in mind, kick human butt.  In this modern remake of the H.G. Well's classic, "War of the Worlds" takes us on an adventure ride in modern time through the eyes of Ray (played by Tom Cruise), a local dock worker and divorced father of two.  As the movie begins, a subplot immediately forms itself in the torn relationship between Ray, his 16 year old son, and 10 year old daughter (played by Dakota Fanning).  Ray is portrayed as a single father, lacking the parental skills most would expect from a normal father, leading to some comical moments with Ray and his daughter struggling over the ordering of food.  This is about as far as the happy, calm mood goes into this movie, at this point, Spielberg reminds us that this is in fact a "war" and not a family dinner movie.

Following a slight falling out with his son, Ray and daughter find themselves watching an incoming storm which just from the look has "Run" written all over it.  For the next 90 minutes, you'll be thrown into a world of devistation, death, survival and ultimately, the inevitable "War of the Worlds" where the struggle between man and alien is fully realized.

To sum this movie up without giving away too much of the new story Spielberg has brought us, it is important to remember that while this is a huge summer blockbuster, this is also a classic story.  There is plenty action, plenty of humor and plenty of drama, but there is also a unique element of something that most movies lack, a firm plot.  You have man vs. machine/alien, you have a story that has lasted over a century and still manages to scare the pants off the audience, and you have all the pieces of a movie that really make a movie a classic, wrapped up with Spielberg magic, its no wonder this movie is destined to become a favorite of many, and a sure bet to be a #1 selling theatrical release and DVD.

The special effects are astonishing, leaving you with your jaw dropped at times as an alien craft turns a human into vaporized dust, or when a large ship over turns in a river tossing its passengers and crew into the icey northern water, only to be yanked back out by our alien visitors.  The sound itself is an absolutel marvel of this movie.  The effects they used to not only give you a sense of pure terror, but also, to describe the size of these crafts, you couldnt have asked for more.  And finally, the actors...including Tom Cruise, Tim Robbins and Dakota Fanning, quite simply put, i could find nothing wrong with the roles they played at all, a perfect casting.

The movie by far is going to live on as another Spielberg great, and while it may have had little discrepencies, plot holes and details that might seem a little "off", these things hardly overshadow the greatness of this movie.  Another masterpiece from the man who brought you a dozen masterpieces, you gotta hand it to Steven, he knows how to capture his audience.