One of Spielbergs more forgettable films

Rating: 3/10 (22 May 2018)

This is the sort of film that critics over-rate, on the basis it visually "looks good" (which it does) and has a big star in Tom Cruise. But that's about the films only positive traits.
There's only one battle scene, and you don't even get to see that because the film is too busy focusing focusing on Cruises character Ray (whose an a hole) his son Robby (also an a-hole) and his daughter Rachael (an annoying, know it all, whiny kid.) The whole film primarily focuses on them but they're so unlikable you don't root for them at all. When you wish the aliens would vaporize the three main characters, you know the film has failed.
There's no real ending, Ray reunites with Robby who supposedly died halfway through the film, no explanation as to how he survived. Robbys character arc alternates between being a teenage a hole and wanting to join the army and fight the aliens. This behaviour makes no sense, it's just there for the sake of "coolness."
The aliens are completely generic, aliens with impenetrable shields has been done as far back as 1953's "war of the worlds" film. The formula was repeated in Star wars, Independance day etc. Not that it's supposed to matter, since the film only wants us to care about this family of a-holes. No real creativity was put into this film, it just exists as a easy cash grab. It bears similarities to "The lost world" which had similar problems.
Even people who liked this film probably wouldn't watch it again, it has no replay value.