If this were a meal, it would be a happy meal from Mc.D. It doesn't leave you full, looks like it were done in a hurry - and doesn't taste very well.

Rating: 3/10 (18 July 2005)

The general idea of the movie is very good and could be a giant hit. The idea however isn't anything new. War of the worlds doesn't manage to deliver anything new to the genre. It leans far too much towards movies like Independence day, in fact if you have seen Independence day you will be very disappointed by War of the worlds.
The movie doesn't give any reason for the majority of elements. It assumes you are a big fan of the science-fiction genre and wont question anything. An example of this could be, a guy filming with a digital-camera right after an EMP strike. Furthermore, as seen in the trailers, the aliens almost defeats the US military in 3 days. In the movie we see how the US are attacking the aliens. This leaves us with the thoughts "If you are doing it like that - no wonder you aren't defeating them, THEY HAVE FORCE SHIELDS." One would think that a mighty military power as the US military would reconsider sending wave after wave of tanks, planes, helicopters after a target that doesn't even get a small dent when fired upon. But apparently Spielberg doesn't think that the US military would re-consider their approach after loosing everything attacking a target without giving this target as much as a scratch.
We aren't given any legit reason for the end of the movie either. All of a sudden the movie ends, and a dark voice tells us what happened.
On the acting side. Cruise delivers a very good performance, if it wasn't for him the movie would get a 1/10. Rachel, Dakota Fanning, is a very good kid actress but I suspect she were directed very bad. In almost all scenes where she appearers the only "sound" coming out of her is a very loud "kid scream". After 15-20 with this I know for a fact that I will never have children. It truly started to hurt my ears.
The image composition also lack the "Spielberg feel" in some scenes. Sometimes faces are too close to the edge of the screen, for my taste, whilst they are speaking.