A sometimes tense, yet poorly executed piece

Rating: 6/10 (1 July 2005)

Steven Spielberg's name has more or less become quite kitsch over the last few years, but you can always credit him for making a film that was well put together and constructed. War of the Worlds will most likely be considered a blip on his resume due to the fact he couldn't follow that example.
There were moments where it looked like this film would become a great movie, but the sloppiness of the production was quite apparent. This was a money-maker, and it didn't matter what happened as long as they got their money in return. While the effects and Janusz Kaminski's cinematography were pretty on par, other elements like the script and the acting were too much to overcome. Tom Cruise didn't have to act much in this film, but he lacked any real range of emotions. His lack of character seemed to be apparent within the film, something that falls on all of the characters, especially Robbie, who is played by Justin Chatwin. David Koepp, who wrote a rather beguiling script that was high on concept and low on meaning, seems to be stumbling a lot these days considering his last few scripts have been trite and lacking real depth.
What really saved this film was the special effects and the sound editing, which was expected. The walking machines were faithfully reproduced unlike the original film, satisfying more hardcore fans of the book (like myself).
War of the Worlds will get its share of mixed reviews, and that's to be expected considering how bi-polar the film gets. Is it anti-war? Is it pro-family? Is it about community or looking out for No. 1? Just when you think it will go one way, it goes the other.