Impressive film, but misunderstood

Rating: 9/10 (4 July 2005)

I was expecting the worst when I heard that Spielberg was taking on WOTW, but I was wrong. I have not enjoyed his films of late. Hated AI, Minority Report was average, catch me if you can was dull. Having now seen WOTW, I can understand that he is obviously a real fan of the source material. He has made the story modern day and in USA, both of which were unnecessary, but was probably a financial decision most of all. Aside from that, I was completely absorbed by this film. The acting was very good, the script worked fine with the film, the sound was amazing and the lack of music only increased the atmosphere. The special effects were incredible.
Having sat through 2 hours of CG in Revenge of the Sith where no one is really in peril as everything is blatantly CG, WOTW was an absolute work of genius. Nearly all of the effects were really there in the film. I rarely thought 'nice effects', as it was all there, with the actors as if there actually used giant tripod props and carved up buildings and streets.
This is a well made film and understands the source material very well. It's not the popcorn summer blockbuster that people expect when they see the two big names, but a more personal film. I would probably give it 10, but it deserves to lose a point for the last 2 minutes.
I have read through a number of comments here and much of it seems pedantic or irrelevant. What a lot of people are forgetting, is that this is essentially a science fiction B-movie. It doesn't have to be 100% accurate.
You don't have to have everything explained to you. Who cares if someone had a camcorder? Yes, the ending seemed like the result of focus group feedback, but I can forgive it based on the overall quality of the film. There are lots of unanswered questions, but if you read the book, it may make more sense. Not all of us need everything justified and explained to us in simple terms and for this I am grateful to Spielberg.