Very Good But Lacking In Plot

Rating: 7/10 (20 July 2005)

I saw a post on the superficiality of the script here and I agree. The hero, Ray (Cruise), undergoes a variety of disjointed episodes with the aliens as well as fellow humans and members of his own broken family. All the viewer knows for sure is that he is trying to get from New York to Boston. In terms of the acting I think Dakota Fanning is going a long way yet in her career. She is a genuine 10 year old trying to grapple with a cataclysm that is unimaginable and she pulls it off well. Cruise is good as an average joe here.
We should perhaps speak about the film's deference (and difference) vis a vis the book. Obviously, Spielberg 'modernizes' the concept of Wells' novel:

the aliens are not Martians, it takes place in urban America instead of rural England.

The idea of the 'tripods' existing buried in the ground for eons prior to the attack is original to the film as well. - the main character is a modern divorced man seeing his kids on his mandated weekend instead of an educated Englishman. - the military hardware used to battle the tripods was obviously not around in Wells' time. some major differences - not sure of the whole 'blood thing' - the main character doesn't actually see the aliens themselves except at the very end - its cool how Spielberg has them three-legged (gee just like their TRI-pods).

There are some of the inevitable 'Hollywoodisms' but surprisingly few actually - I'm thinking primarily of the fistful of hand-grenades Cruise deposits in the bowels of one of the tripods. For a moment I was dismayed into thinking Spielberg was going to cop out with a Hollywood ending but NO thank goodness.
This leads to some of the ways in which he pays homage to the book:

the tripods themselves are exactly as you would envision them from the book including their death rays!! and they kick butt too

the climactic scene where Ray and Rachel witness the last tripod fall and one of its inhabitants half crawl out is EXACTLY from the book.

the main character of the book specifically notes that the aliens' technology does not appear to include any concept of the wheel - maybe Spielberg's having one of them play with a bicycle wheel is a nod to this

For a couple of these things I am grateful to the director and script writers. Overall a good film.