War of the Worlds minus the kids equals a lot better movie

Rating: 7/10 (16 February 2007)

This movie sure did pull me in different directions. I loved the main story, that being the aliens invading and just totally annihilating everything and everyone (very much like Independence Day). The CGI was excellent, you got the full feeling of the destructive power of the aliens and their war machines. There was also a good display of the sheer pandemonium and fear that overcame everybody.
Now, as for the underlying story, that being Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) and his relationship with his kids, I didn't care for that at all. It actually dragged the movie down a bit. For the most part "War of the Worlds" was a high octane suspenseful movie, except when it was bogged down by Ray and his kids. OK, so Ray has divorced his wife and he doesn't have that great of a relationship with his kids... can't that crap be put to the side in a crisis? I mean it is a crisis situation, even enemies get along a little bit during a crisis. And the boy running off to join the army when things are getting destroyed left and right and his father and sister are trying to reach another destination entirely... what was that about? Like I said, the main story: great... the underlying story: a drag.