No, not like Europe

Rating: 6/10 (1 July 2005)

Greetings again from the darkness. Let's start with the positive. This film boasts the greatest special effects on film to date. It easily surpasses the latest Star Wars or Lord of the Rings films. Some of the effects will leave you breathless and wide-eyed. The best compliment I can offer is, everything looks real ... even the unreal. The relentless pace will leave you feeling exhausted until the ending ruins that feeling. With world destruction going on how does anyone have pressed clothes, make-up and brushed hair? I will also say that the entire Tim Robbins (flashing his "Mystic River" accent) sequence was confusing and ridiculous except for the "Jurassic Park" type shot (remember the kids hiding in the kitchen?) Tom Cruise proves he is best at being Tom Cruise. In other words, he is no Tom Hanks as an actor. On the other hand, Dakota Fanning ("Man on Fire" "Cat and the Hat" and little Melanie in "Sweet Home Alabama") shows off a much greater range than her overpaid, over-hyped and overexposed superstar screen dad. Film historian Steven Spielberg does a tip of the cap to the 1953 original by offering a quick shot of that film's stars, Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. Did anyone else notice that the sound emanating from the aliens sounded suspiciously like the opening chords to Black Sabbath's "I am Iron Man"? Also, why is it that every Tom Cruise film has him running at least one wind sprint? Despite the negatives (and there are many), the film scores high due to the phenomenal technical film-making of Spielberg and ILM craftsmen. A must see for film buffs and sci-fi types.