Definitely not Jaws

Rating: 1/10 (12 July 2005)

Spielberg has lost his touch. Not only has he proved himself to be a master of the irrelevant, blotting his movie with dialog and scenes that have absolutely no place in it, but he also inhibits the much anticipated fear by allowing us to see too much of what at least in part should remain veiled in mystery. Why do you suppose Ridley Scott's 'Alien' was so terrifying? In any case, you can't improve on a masterpiece. For all its age and lack of computer sophistication, the 1953 film version of WOTW still holds the title for best adaptation of H. G. Wells's classic sci-fi novel. That one's articulated script, imaginative soundtrack and cold-war inspired montage make Spielberg look as though he has reverted to a pre-'Duel' stage of creative development.