They're here...

Rating: 8/10 (4 July 2005)

I have recently commented on the 1953 movie "The War of the Worlds" - that it was a perfect examination of humans if Martian invaders came to our planet to wipe us out and then looked to call Earth their new home. I re-watched that movie three days ago and it is still effective in telling its story. That film is also a favorite of mine that scared me a lot when I was kid.
"The War of the Worlds" has shared a long and colorful history in the annals of American pop culture, since the story's origins began with the publishing of the 1898 novel written by H.G. Wells. Since then, it's been memorably retold in many formats, from Orson Welles' chilling 1938 radio broadcast (which surely enough caused a widespread panic), to Byron Haskin directing the aforementioned first film adaptation in '53, to a television series that ran during the 1980s, and finally to this big-budget action epic that's directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Tom Cruise.
If anything, "War of the Worlds" serves the purpose of returning Spielberg to form in the eyes of the public and a few select members of his fanbase. He really goes for the jugular with this picture in creating a scenario that in tone, is all-too realistic and brings back a mood of terror not evident in Spielberg's work since "Jaws" (1975). But of course Spielberg is no stranger to aliens, especially with "E.T." (1982) and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) under his belt.
And "War of the Worlds" has a bankable film star - Tom Cruise, who is not on cruise control at all during this picture. Much has been made in recent weeks about Cruise's religious Scientology beliefs, which have since come to include the belief in the existence of aliens. Does this hype it up? Sure. Does this make me want to see it anymore? Yeah. Why? Because with Spielberg and Cruise together, it's a perfect match of two alien geeks, especially since they first teamed up in "Minority Report" (2002), and that movie was dazzling.
As for the movie, it doesn't disappoint in any respect. It features a master filmmaker back in the game of mastering his imaginative craft of storytelling in the most perfect fashion. Actually, though, "War of the Worlds" is quite literally terrifying. It's impossible to not overlook the real-world similarities present in this film's screenplay by Josh Friedman and David Koepp, as well as the many parallels to our own reality as human beings and the only species in this universe with brains and thoughts of planetary conquest.
In "War of the Worlds," after a grim opening narration by a gravely voiced Morgan Freeman, enormous and ominous EMP (electromagnetic pulse) storms have been zapping out electrical systems all over the world. I just love this particular segment of the movie, as the mood and tension begin mounting to unbearable levels and never lets up. But of course, we humans are oblivious that our actions on this planet have been monitored by an alien force that has patiently plotted our demise for eons.
Gone from this picture are brainy scientist-types and military personnel and it's the better for it; instead we focus in on blue-collar Everyman man-boy Ray Ferrier (Cruise), who has the kids for the weekend. In the tradition of Spielbergian fathers, Ray is irresponsible and not a good dad even though he tries his hardest. Ray's son Robbie (Justin Chatwin) openly despises him for being a bad father but his young daughter Rachel (the amazing Dakota Fanning) is a little more forgiving.
This next part is where Spielberg really shows off his skill of imagination, which is when the Martians invade. It turns out that the Martians' tripod war machines were already here, buried deep underground millions of years of ago and when they were ready to attack, the Martians were beamed to Earth in space capsules (through the EMP storms) and reactivated the machines.
The tripod war machines make an astonishing debut, rising up out of the ground and then vaporizing countless fleeing humans with their death rays. It soon becomes a race against time as Ray, Robbie, and Rachel try to make it to Boston from New Jersey as they escape the major cities that have fallen to the Martians, as well as the thousands of other desperate, terrified individuals.
From the beginning, "War of the Worlds" wraps you up in its grip and doesn't let go. Tom Cruise is more than adequate, giving one of his finest performances and providing a strong emotional center. The supporting players are great too, especially the delightful Ms. Fanning and a rather creepy cameo from Tim Robbins as Oglivy, a paranoid survivalist.
What's most impressive are the Martian invaders and their tripods. Spielberg took a gamble in showing us the Martians' direct confrontation with human beings by presenting the invaders to be vampires, apparently needing blood to survive. Humans are captured by the Martians and are then harvested; the creatures then eject the veinal remains (which are scattered about in areas where the invaders have already hit) and is quite nasty but is still effectively chilling in that it makes them that much more ruthless.
If there are any shortcomings, it's that the film's ending seems too abrupt (though it should be familiar to those who have followed the story in its past incarnations), and Spielberg seems to lose his grip on the story as it draws to a close. These are the only things I felt took away from the film.
"War of the Worlds" is a perfect summer movie that shows a master on top of his game once again. It's quite terrifying in its premise, as real-world events factor into the on-screen action. It's just too bad we humans won't ever learn from what annihilation will bring onto us if such a thing does occur.
8/10