Best film of 2005

Rating: 10/10 (21 February 2006)

In one scene from WAR OF THE WORLDS, my favorite 2005 release, a frazzled military man shouts: "Our weapons have no effect on them! Just help the citizens escape!" That's the tone of Steven Spielberg's often disturbing and scary take on H.G Wells' story about a massive worldwide alien invasion. Like Wells' story, our emotions almost never focus on scientists and military men. The center of attention here is an ordinary family man (Tom Cruise) protecting his children from unbeatable, hate-filled aliens. We see very little of us fighting back. Spielberg aims his camera at helpless, very often doomed people trying to escape and shield their loved ones.
2005 saw the release of two excellent fantasy remakes, this one, and Peter Jackson's KING KONG. Spielberg and Jackson obviously both love the original versions of their big budgeted and effect-filled remakes. They never took the sneering tone of "Well, we have better special effects than what they had way back then, so nyah-nyah!"
WAR OF THE WORLDS never takes the ultra-cool, spoofy tone of alien invasion films like INDEPENDENCE DAY. This time it's very cold and dark! You truly get the idea that these are final days for the human race.