Great! A different way to watch an alien invasion!

Rating: 9/10 (21 July 2005)

Let me start by saying I really enjoyed this movie. Why ? Because of the way it was filmed. It's just breathtaking!! It's almost as if you were there. Filled with fear, running for your life, away from the lethal tripods. And then, the key element of the movie kicks in. You're not only running for your life, to protect yourself, but you also have two children (a teenager boy and a little girl) to look after. This premise takes this movie much further. Tom Cruise's acting, in that department, is just great. He doesn't go, from a negligent father, to a "shoot me instead of them" kind of character. He slowly develops his relationship with his children, especially Rachel. Rachel is a little girl, and is obviously very scared about all this alien invasion thing. She needs support. Support that her father isn't ready to give at first. I think Dakota Fanning, did a good job in showing the "terror" through a little girl's eyes (especially when she sees what's going on through the back window of the car and also when the dead bodies, in the river, appear in front of her). Well done, for such a young actress.
You must be thinking - "Why isn't this guy talking about the FX and the efforts to destroy the alien invaders?" - And my answer is - "Because this is a different way to watch an alien invasion". It's about how a regular guy (like Ray Ferrier) would react in a situation like that (notice the scene where he picks up his gun, after the initial tripod attack). It's about what you would do in that situation, to protect your loved ones. But let me say something about the FX : they are stunning!! If you're one of those guys/girls, that love CG, you MUST see this movie. They are top of the line and their realism, help pull you into the movie. Sound effects are great too. The tripod sounds, are really creepy. Their moving sounds and, mostly, that loud sound they make, just before they attack. In the ferry scene, when the tripods appear, I can only imagine the panic, when people there listen to that loud sound. They trample themselves just to get the hell out of there. It's as real as it gets! The soundtrack suits the movie well, with some key elements, that keep the "scare score" of the movie intact.
To sum up, a great movie that, in my honest opinion, deserves more respect from those who criticize it so much. Of course, if you're looking for a "mass destruction flick", filled with scenes of military actions to destroy the aliens (even though you have some), then you'll be disappointed. This is a movie about survival, after a terrifying alien invasion, and in that premise, everything falls into place : directing (by a director I respect for his past and current work), acting, special effects and every other category that helped remake this movie!
So I feel very comfortable when giving it 9 out of 10. I sure think it deserves this score!