brilliant up until the horrendous anti-climax

Rating: 8/10 (1 July 2005)

SPOILERS In recent years, Hollywood and the rest of the movie making world has suffered from a creative disorder. For many film makers, this illness has ruined some of their finest works, whilst for others, it has simply been the nail in an already sealed coffin. This plight is that of the anti-climax. In films like "Artificial Intelligence", "28 Days Later" and "The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy", films which have ranged from acceptable to amazing have been ruined by an ending which a two year old would write down and then throw up on. "Artificial Intelligence" in particular was a dirge of a film which never really got going, but which would have finished brilliantly if it had finished thirty minutes earlier. Unfortunately though Steven Spielberg, a man seemingly obsessed with happy endings and should probably see a psychologist about this, took over the film and stuck a woeful conclusion onto it.
Spielberg, perhaps unfairly handed the title of greatest director ever (personal preference lies with Hitchcock), has made some amazing films over the years, but he has also made some absolute stinkers. Teaming up with actor Tom Cruise for this 2005 remake of the HG Wells classic "War of the Worlds", it seems with five minutes to go that Spielberg has created another classic. Unfortunately though, it is at this point where he experiences a relapse of the ill-fated disease and produces a dire conclusion to a previously amazing film.
Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is a dockworker in New Jersey having his children from his now deceased marriage over to stay. Unable to connect with son Robbie (Justin Chatwin) and abandoning his daughter Rachel (Dakota Fanning), Ray's life is not one to shout about. As tensions raise in the house however, a mysterious cloud forms and machines break out of the ground. Now, travelling across America with children in tow, Ray must fight for survival as the human raise is systematically exterminated.
From Morgan Freeman's opening narration, "War of the Worlds" is a clever and well shot film. With amazing special effects and some truly awesome acting (most notably, and scarily, from young Dakota Fanning), it leaps out of the screen and leaves you clutching to the edge of your seat throughout.
Steven Spielberg is a director who knows how to tell a story, and that is increasingly evident here as he pits Ray not only against alien invaders, but against other panicking humans. The fact that Ray survives for so long is a miracle in itself, but to have so many characters vaporised or shot or stood on or eaten, Spielberg knows how to get our nerves shaking.
Yes there are flaws in the story, Tim Robbins eccentric slowly deranged Ogilvy is an annoying role which we probably could have done without, but ultimately when you witness scenes of beautiful choreography like the red vines in the field, it's acceptable to forgive Robbins' character.
We also can forgive some of Spielberg's slow moments in exchange for one or two amazing criticisms of America. At one point Ray is driving a car and explaining events to his son. The boy goes "Is it terrorists" only to then say "Is it Europe then?". Insulting the American ignorance and this constant terror that something new might happen, this little conversation is a joyous moment in the film. A reminder that Spielberg is aware of the real world and that he is more than willing to criticise it.
Unfortunately, Spielberg is also a man with anti-climax syndrome and for that we can not forgive him. Ironically sticking with the one major point of HG Wells' story that he shouldn't have, Spielberg creates a dire resolution to the invasion and rushes his ending. Adding salt into the wound, he also manages to present us with the one conclusion to Ray's journey that we wished would not happen. We can argue whether this is a joyous ending or not (one person posting a message on the notice board is spot on in regards to whether the ending is tragic), but ultimately it is an ending which just should not have happened.
Steven Spielberg can be an amazing director. Creating some of the most well known and well loved films of the last twenty years, he is easily one of the finest directors ever. In recent years though he has suffered from a debilitating decease called anti-climax syndrome. Taking films which range from average to amazing, he successfully destroys them without batting an eyelid. In the future whenever you watch a Spielberg film, make sure you leave before the ending, it'll make you appreciate the film more.