Cruise and Fanning don't disappoint

Rating: 9/10 (30 June 2005)

Wow. What an experience. This movie makes Independence Day look like Mars Attacks! First, let me address the Cruise nay-sayers, as he is often cited as a one-dimensional actor. I believe it's a normal reaction to his cocky, hail-fellow-well-met, testosterone imbalanced performances in most of his films; and to some degree, such a preconceived notion does indeed do him disservice in this movie as it's hard to see him as: a.) An emotionally detached absentee father, and b.) actually in danger of harm at any time during his plight against the unnamed attackers (unlike the original, this movie makes no mention of Martians). However, I think that Cruise did an outstanding job of balancing the emotional evolution of his character from beginning to end, the whole time making himself believable, and showing a range of emotion that one might expect to see from a theatrically-trained stage actor (think Adrien Brody in The Pianist).
That said, I think most are in agreement with the talent of Dakota Fanning, and to be sure, she does not disappoint. The chemistry between her and Cruise is palpable, and I'm sure that this would have been a lesser movie experience without her. Supporting roles are fine as well, especially Tim Robbins in a somewhat odd role as a survivalist type.
I'll forgo the storyline, as everyone knows it already, but I'll add that the effects were outstanding as one would expect from a Spielberg effort. The aliens and their machines were not overwrought, and show respect for H.G. Wells' written word. Additionally, and as an unexpected surprise, the movie does not gratuitously hang it's hat on these, but focuses more on the characters and their interaction.
There are moments of visual awe, headache-inducing tension and visceral horror from the moment lightning strikes. This movie is what Independence Day should have been.