An interesting and innovative take on the 1953 classic

Rating: 7/10 (20 March 2014)

A very interesting retelling indeed. I've always enjoyed the idea of alien invasion type stories, mostly due to me being a fan of panic and mass chaos. There's just something about it that thrills me, watching humans' intellect fail them in situations where they fail to work together as their nature intended. This means this film is right up my alley.
Instead of a typical scenario where you get the viewpoint of some powerful military leader such as the president of the US trying to combat an impossible force, you get the view of a less-than-functional family trying to survive a surely apocalyptic event. You truly get a taste of the panic and confusion, and it's actually terrifying. Seeing this as a kid, I was actually scared that this could happen because of how well it portrayed the biggest threat to humanity, itself.
The effects are well done, it has great acting, and a pretty good story.
The main issue I have with the film would be how rushed the story seems after re-watching. You notice how little time is spent in between areas and how it seems like, at many times, they simply go from point to point with little explanation of the survival aspects that you would expect.
I'm not sure if I could really recommend this for horror fans, but it sure feels like it. It's rare that a movie can truly have this kind of effect on you if you haven't experienced it before.