Great in the theater, but leaves a mixed aftertaste

Rating: 7/10 (10 July 2005)

I'll start off by saying that despite all the negative criticism WotW has been receiving, it is an exciting and action-packed summer blockbuster that's definitely worth a movie ticket. But since Steven Spielberg is the man behind all this, it's understandable people expected a bit more than just that".
The opening is just long enough to introduce Tom Cruise alias Ray Ferrier as the irresponsible and divorced dad along with his annoyingly rebellious teenage son and his precocious daughter (Dakota Fanning). After that, it's pretty much all action and suspense! Yay for that. Spielberg manages not to imitate similar alien flicks. The invasion is not once shown from a secret White House basement or a hidden military command room. Instead, Cruise and his family are the center of the story, and we see only what they see. This creates a refreshing sense of immersion into the story", especially in the first attack scene outside Cruise's house. We catch only glimpses of the horror that he is running from, not once is there a gratuitous SFX shot to show off the latest CGI advancements or whatever.
As the aliens go about their business, there is plenty of Holocaust imagery to be found (i.e. clothes/blood raining from the sky), as well as references to recent terrorist attacks, like Tom Cruise escaping the first massacre all covered in dust and rubble. Also, there is a scene which very brutally depicts a human crowd going out of control. All that enhanced the scary atmosphere in the first half.
But about halfway through the movie, I got annoyed by the way most of the scenes were resolved fairly illogically. I gladly overlooked the fact that Cruise escapes the first tripod by... running around the block back to his house. Where nobody has heard the alien machine tearing up the city. Okay. Half an hour later, I was led to believe that Cruise and the kids just kinda... swim away from three tripods killing off a bunch of people in the middle of the Hudson River. And, shortly after that, that teenage boy somehow survives running into a giant wall of fire, while Tom and Dakota once again escape by hiding in a nearby basement. Somehow, all these scenes ended up less scary than they could have been.
Sadly, the same thing can be said about the ending. I didn't know the book, and as the movie approached the two hour mark, I was hoping not to be presented with another Signs"-like letdown. But that's pretty much what happens. Okay, I guess Spielberg had to stick to the book and all, but still it felt rushed and didn't fit with the otherwise mostly dark/realistic atmosphere.
But oh well, at least Tom Cruise's performance is decent enough to make me forget his recent presence in the media. And, as has been said to excess, Dakota Fanning shines in her usual role as the smart yet fragile girl in need of someone to watch over her. What struck me most about the teenage boy was that he has a tendency to strike up discussions about family matters in the least fortunate situations...
In conclusion, see War of the Worlds in a theater for the great blockbuster that it is, but try not to think too hard and be prepared for a few disappointments!