Spielberg ousts H. G. Wells.

Rating: 7/10 (10 July 2005)

The War of the Worlds has before been made contemporary. Orson Welles infamous radio broadcast in the 30's for example. Here we have Spielberg bringing it slap bang right into the 21st century. Unfortunately or otherwise it is now more Spielberg than H. G. Wells. What is really a 19th. Century cautionary tale set in Victorian England, becomes with Spielberg's bleak vision of angry aggressive Aliens, a dark contemporary saga about disenchanted children in a broken marriage, the fear of terrorists and 9/11, and that running away from danger is better than fighting it. Sadly very little remains of the original text. Except the opening narration by the excellent Morgan Freeman. Not that Spielberg's effects are not impressive, mostly they are, especially in the early scenes. Despite the Martian Machines looking like rejects from the George Pal version of the 50's, or giant jellyfish, and the "Martians" having a strong resemblance to the Gremlins. But the story moves along well enough, and there is a degree of suspense throughout, punctuated continually by Dakota Fanning's screams. Tom Cruise and Tim Robbins do what they can with their roles, overshadowed rather by the SFX. It's not bad entertainment but those seeking the original might do better to check out Jeff Wayne's musical version superbly read by Richard Burton.