If you are currently looking for a movie that has plenty to say about the current state of political affairs - then this is it!

Rating: 7/10 (2 July 2005)

On the surface this is your standard Spielberg manipulative movie, told brilliantly, pulling the right emotional cords and full of spectacular actions scenes. But if you look deep down into the bowels, there is an ugly side, most of it dug up from the USA's backyard.
Representing the USA is Ray Ferrier, a blue collar worker with a failed marriage and children he cannot seem to connect with. Sounds like another single parent in a screwed-up dysfunctional world.
From underneath him the Earth opens up and out come the menacing alien giant tripods, ready to destroy the world. These machines have been right under civilization's noses for millions of years, and I'm sure it was the crazed Ogilvy (Tim Robbins) who pointed it out. That's when the penny dropped for me.
The enemy is right under our noses! But who are our enemies? The terrorists? No, Ray crossed them off the list. How about the politicians? They create fear within us, planting the seed of paranoia, which then flowers into panic and then mayhem within our own minds. That's what happens to our protagonist, Ray Ferrier, as he attempts to get away from this mysteries alien invasion. He can't make sense of it, but his first instinct is to get his children away from it. And on this journey of survival, he packs a hand gun, like all good citizens should do when being invaded.
Ray and his children manage to get away in the only mobile vehicle. Along the way they come across a convoy of army vehicles that are headed towards the disaster. Ray's teenage angst ridden son wants to join them and fight the unbeatable war. But Ray won't have none of that because he knows what the consequences will be - the same consequences as sending our young naïve troops to Iraq.
Somewhere amongst all this carnage there is a scene of an airplane scattered over a suburban street. Ray finds a TV cameraman and a journalist scavenging through this disaster, pulling out food and filling up there bags with the supplies. (The same way Journalists find stories) But the journalist does show Ray something of interest that they have captured on camera, and that is the lightning that hit the Earth before the tripods came alive. Hidden in the rods of lightning are these creatures that penetrate the Earth to get to the tripods underground. Is this how a few politicians with hidden agendas are penetrating our society? And then raising the evil empire to conquer all? Maybe I'm going right off track but I'm enjoying this a little too much to stop right now. Anyway, back to the story where the journalist's aim is to get the hell out of there since they can't get a good story out of Ray. It says a lot about today's journalism. (I couldn't help myself again.) Now, while the politicians are  sorry, I meant to say Aliens - are sending our citizens into a mad frenzy, Ray and his children drive right into one. A fight ensures over the vehicle but Ray has his trusty gun that takes control over proceedings. But someone else comes out one better and points a gun at Ray's head. He's not ready to die for a silly cause as he realises that his intention is to save the family. The man with the gun manages to take control of the vehicle and only drives a few metres before being shot down. Ray and children can only watch the madness as everyone fights for the car. (A nice little piece for the anti-gun lobby movement.) Ray and family seem to be getting into more deep s**t. This time the army comes to the rescue and Ray's teenage boy wants to fight the good cause. Ray tries to talk him out of it but the foolish young boy has an urge to take on evil. Ray knows he has to let his son go sooner or later, as other parents did when they sent their children off to Iraq, fearing for the worse.
The only safe place for Ray and his daughter is in the basement of a crazed man, Ogilvy. This man must surely represent the mid-west American. All this man wants to do is to take on the aliens with a shotgun and an axe. It's what a lot of American's wanted to do after 9/11, find an enemy and seek vengeance. Maybe too haste a move was made and Ray feels the same. He knows that is not a wise move since it will only stir up trouble and jeopardise his daughter's life (who I might add represents the innocence of a nation). The only way Ray can convince this nut Ogilvy is by eliminating him in a very fine cinematic moment.
An interesting piece occurs when Ray and daughter are now captives in the tripod's cage. The alien tripod randomly picks out a human and sprays their blood over the land. (Obviously a reference to the blood of soldiers being sprayed over foreign soil) Ray is up next and it's only the reaction of a soldier who knows the evil intentions of the alien tripod and the parting of father and daughter. How about we link this to soldiers who are losing faith in their government's decision making and have to now take their own action? And it pays off as they manage to escape.
The ending is very simple as the alien tripods die. Not because of the intelligent weapons created by Humans, but because of bacteria that only humans are immune to. Now, what does this say about our politicians? Are they immune to our votes? Now, maybe I'm right off track but it was fun to watch this movie in that perspective. But then again, this movie could be about the unfair treatment of divorced fathers and the raw deal they get. But that's another thesis in itself.