boring

Rating: 5/10 (30 June 2005)

I am very down on the movie. I was terribly bored, looked at my watch a lot, and even fell asleep for a few minutes in the middle of the film. The special effects were nice, but we are getting used to that, so they are not so special anymore. The movie lacked much of a plot. It was "sound and fury signifying nothing."
You can understand my concern when we compare this film to the 1953 version. That film was INTERESTING, despite its flaws, because you had many important adult characters with adult concerns and interactions. There was something to put your teeth into, something to follow -- for example: the hero is a scientist; he had a girlfriend; her relative is a clergyman who wants to talk peace to the invading Martians; so do some of the townspeople; and there are government scientists, police and military trying to cope with the menace. In the Spielberg flick there are just three main characters and no one else important to interact with. And the three characters are an adult (Cruise) and two complaining children, one of whom (the son) is particularly annoying. Most of the movie seems to be their pointless (to me) trek from New Jersey to Boston as they are chased and threatened by Martians.... .... .. And then there is the abrupt ending.