A great film, but a fan's film!

Rating: 8/10 (2 July 2005)

This is a brilliant film version of the classic Well's novel. Everything is there. Some of the characters (Priest, Ogilvy the Astronomer & the Artilery Man)have been fused to great effect. The Red Weed and Vampiric feeding have been reworked in a subtle but disturbing fashion . The Fighting Machines/ Tripods are a brilliant design and you will see why they have that format later in the film. The acting is superb, effects are outstanding, fear and tension are all perfectly presented. It even has a sequence lifted from the 1953 version, which you will spot. The final image is a great homage to the "Dead London" print from the Jeff Wayne musical booklet. I mean, the spot/ cylinder containing the Tripod even unscrews counter clock-wise before the it appears. There are a great deal of little things that make it all worth while. It has it all.
Mr Spielberg is indeed a fan of War of the Worlds and it shows.
So why not a 10 on my score? This is a Wells fan's film.
As the credits rolled past I found myself having to explain the ending to the row in front of me, who were really irritated and confused with the end narration. They watched the film, enjoyed it but did not understand the ending. On my way out, I could hear similar comments from a great deal of the audience! In short: Some experience with the original source material is required. It's either that or people in my area of London aren't too bright these days, but you never can tell.