Run for your lives and have a popcorn-munching good time- the world is under attack!

Rating: 7/10 (9 July 2005)

"War of the Worlds" delivers as genuine popcorn, roller-coaster escapist fare, far from monumental or even inspiring, yet hardly derivative and implausible to the extent of unadulterated folly. The effects are nothing short of spectacular, and certainly steal the show here, "mind-blowing" away any plot holes that might undermine the film's dramatic, terrifying atmosphere. From ravaged buildings to gigantic craters to "lightning portals", the visual behemoths throughout the film are enough to leave you gasping with terror and astonishment- gotta hand it to those CGI wizards- the effects are ingeniously devised here. Tom Cruise supplies heartfelt emotion and vigilant resolve to his starring role as a "blue-collar, not-so-committed father", once again "on the run" (read Minority Report), who, as to be expected in a Spielberg film, comes to terms with the important, life-sacrificing values in life (e.g. family), and partially flees for his and his family's life, and partially combats the unidentified foes to mankind, which I suppose, elevates him to heroic status in the film. Dakota Fanning is pitch-perfect as the Cruise's terrified and remarkably wary daughter, who presumably is the heart and soul of the theme of human suffrage. Perhaps the character development is somewhat insufficient and the latter third of the movie gets bogged down in "Spielberg syrup", yet as a summer thriller, "War of the Worlds" is surely a must-see. There are plenty of chills with its conveyance of panic and paranoia- whether it be the destruction shots taking a backstage to the mass hysteria of humans- behaving like selfish ants under the focus of malicious aliens, or the scenes of carnage and wreckage- it seems a reality that this is the end of the world as we know it. The film also succeeds on suspense- the kind of man-being-cornered-by-creatures scenario exhibited in "Jurassic Park" that works so well in evoking the sense of dread in times of crucial survival. In the midst of the panic and chaos, we as the viewers experience the pain and turmoil of death, destruction, separation, and survival, and when we witness the human suffering of this clandestine "war", we are horrified by its monstrous casualties and root for the victory of man over these not-so-friendly extraterrestrials. Spielberg's direction of this bleakness is appropriately gloomy and tremulous, which serves to convey the horror and turmoil in a remarkably effective way.
Though it's far from the definitive, quintessential blockbuster, with enough plot holes to fuel the aliens' spaceships, and especially lacking in sufficient character development and satisfying resolution, "War of the Worlds" is just fun enough, terrifying enough, and dramatic enough, for a definite recommendation. For the most part, this is an end-of-the-world thriller with heart and brains, and it truly delivers as entertainment with awesome, terrifying onslaught. *** out of ****